BY SIDNEY G. MAKTIN, A.I.A. (lONDOn). 3 



involving the ages of infancy in the figures for the last quin- 

 quennium, on account of the falling off in the birth rate, which 

 will have the effect of bringing the number under five in that 

 quinquennium no higher than in the one previous, though the 

 total population shows considerable increase. For older ages 

 the comparisons are not sensibly affected, and I have not altered 

 the figures. The death rate put against each quinquennium is 

 the annual rate, and is simply one fifth of that experienced 

 through the whole five years. 



In arriving at the ratios, deaths to persons living, I have 

 taken the numbers living at those ages at which the disease in 

 the great majority of cases begins to be fatal, such as 15 for 

 phthisis, 35 for cancer, &c., but the deaths from those diseases 

 are the total deaths at all ages, including those few which occur 

 before those ages. I have preferred not to alter the figures more 

 than necessary, as to know the nwiihers of deaths as well as the 

 ratios is useful ; and as in no case does the number of deaths 

 outside the included ages amount to one-tenth of those inside 

 the ratios are not materially affected, and for purposes of com- 

 parison one year with another the results are not affected at all. 



Infant Mortality. 



The infant mortality is said to be generally accepted as the 

 most sensitive test of the health of a given population, and 

 judged by this standard, Queensland stands well. The infant 

 mortality is found by comparing the total deaths under age 1 

 with the births of the year, and on this basis the average per 

 thousand for the past 25 years is as follows : — 



1875/79, 145 ; 1880/84, 127 ; 1885/89, 129 ; 1890/94, 104 ; 

 1896/99, 102. 



The rate for all England in 1898 was 160, higher than 

 ours has ever been. There are only four counties in England 

 that show a better rate than our present one ; three with 99, 

 and one with 101 per 1,000. Our rate for |1899— 109, though 

 higher than the average for the previous five years, was the 

 lowest in Australia, South Australia being next with 111. 



If we take the mortality for the first five years of life we get 

 results as follows : — 



