47 



Many of the races, such as the negroes, on changing their 

 primitive mode of life and migrating to temperate climes, are 

 peculiarly susceptible to the tubercular virus. 



A very large percentage of the Maoris die of consump- 

 tion, and in Queensland the death rate of phthisis is much 

 swollen by the Kanakas. 



Females are said to be more subject to tuberculosis than 

 males, but this varies slightly in different colonies and 

 countries, Tuberculosis is common among infants, and it is 

 estimated that one-fourth of all children dying die of 

 abdominal consumption. 



Phthisis pulmonalis is commonest between the ages of 25 

 to 30 years. Rausome estimated that one-half of all deaths 

 at marriageable ages are due to phthisis. 



In 1891 one male died out of every 913 persons living, and 

 one female out of every 1,190 in the Australasian group, ex- 

 cluding Western Australia. 



I need not enter into the statistical part of this subject. 

 Xet me tell you it is the greatest single cause of death in the 

 United Kingdom as well as in Australasia. 



In England alone 70,000 deaths occur on an average every 

 year, 60,000 of these being due to consumption of lungs ; 

 while the other 20,000 from other forms of tuberculosis. 



In Australasia, for the three years 1890, 1891, and 1892, 

 the total number of deaths from phthisis alone was 12,243, 

 out of a total number of deaths of 153,069, being about 8 per 

 cent, of all causes. 



The following table * shows the death rate from phthisis 

 per 100 deaths from all causes from years 1890, 1891, and 

 1892 :— England, 11 ; Queensland, 8-9 ; Victoria, 8*9 ; New 

 Zealand, 8'L ; South Australia, 78 : New South Wales, 6*9 ; 

 Tasmania, 6'2 ; Western Australia, 5'9. 



If we take the death rate per 100,000 persons living, and 

 this is the more accurate method, for the same period as 

 above the order is slightly different. 



Deaths from phthisis per 100,000 persons living : — Eng- 

 land, 164 ; Victoria, 136 ; Queensland, 116 ; South Aus- 

 tralia, 97 ; Western Australia, 96 ; New South Wales, 90 ; 

 Tasmania, 90 ; New Zealand, 81. 



With the exception of New Zealand, our own colony has the 

 best record. 



If to the 4,081 that die annually from phthisis we add the 

 number of deaths from other forms of tubercular diseases, 

 we will have a total of at least of 6,000 lives lost to these 

 colonies every year. 



*See Dr. MuUin's paper in the Australian Medical Gazette, August 20, 1895. 



