BY K. M. JOHNSTON, F.L.S. 7 



Standards, is, that a life terminating one hundred years after 

 birth is reckoned only to be of the same health value as a life 

 terminating one hour after birth ; and that the death of an 

 octogenarian caused by *' old age " or " senile decay " — a non- 

 preventible cause — adds as ranch to the rate as the death of a 

 child or youth from |3reventible causes, such as smallpox, 

 diphtheria, or typhoid fever. 



It is clear, therefore, before a true comparison can be made 

 between the health of different places, or between different 

 periods in any one place, the non-preventible deaths due to 

 '^old age," or the natural termination of a healthy life, should 

 be eliminated, and the comparison strictly confined to pre- 

 ventible causes, or, otherwise, the healthiest place in the world 

 might seem the worst, and the most unhealthy the best. 



In the comparisons between the present and the past of 

 Hobart and between the death-rates of different cities, this 

 plan has been carefully carried out in the following tabular 

 comparisons. 



The adoption of this course is all the more necessary when 

 we come to consider the remarkable longevity of the inhabitants 

 of Hobart as compared with other places, as indicated in the 

 following table : — 



Proportion of Persons who die of '^Senility" or "Old 

 Age " in various Cities to Total Deaths from all causes. 



Hobart Suburbs .. 1 in every 3 persons who die. 



Hobart and Suburbs 1 „ 5 ,, 



Hobart, City only 1 „ 7*65 „ 



Adelaide 1 „ 14 ,, 



Average of eight principal 



Cities of Scotland 1 „ 31 „ 



London 1 ,, 35 „ 



Melbourne 1 „ 39 „ 



Sydney 1 „ 40 „ 



As over 20 per cent, of the total death-rate of Hobart is 

 composed of the numbers of those who die of "old age," it will 

 be seen how misleading it would be to compare its health with 

 the other cities named on the basis of the total death-rate from 

 all causes, including preventible and non-preventible. 



Indeed, if there be anything to fear in our Death-rate 

 statistics, it is, that anyone who comes to reside in this City 

 has the chance of 1 in 5 that he will prolong his life to extreme 

 old age. 



