BY SIDNEY G. MARTIN, A. I. A. (lONDOn). 11 



economy in method of living. The death rate during the past 

 quinquennium is the smallest and is only one-half that 

 experienced in the period 1885/90. 



Males. 



Annual ratio per 10,000 

 Total deaths. living over age 20. 



1875/79 .. 98 2-9 



1880/84 

 1885/89 

 1890/94 

 1895/99 



164 3-6 



282 4-7 



189 2-8 



189 2-4 

 Accidents. 

 Accidental deaths always have appeared and still do appear 

 amongst the largest contributors to our total death rate. The 

 figures run as follows : — 



Annual ratio to Annual ratio to 



10,000 

 living at all ages, 



7-6 

 7-6 

 8-4 

 6-4 

 5.6 

 m the 250 



victims (chiefly Asiatics) of the disaster to the pearl fishers 

 in 1899. 



A comparison of the various classes of accidental death* 

 shows that the improvement has been in regard to those 

 accidents which are of the more preventible class, such as 

 burns, scalds, and drowning, which are only one half the rate of 

 20 years ago, while those accidents which can less be guarded 

 against, such as horse, railway and mining accidents, falls, and 

 falling trees, show almost exactly the same rates. The rate of 

 death from accident among children is only one-third the rate of 

 20 years back. Amongst adults the cause responsible for the 

 greatest number is that of drowning, which has accounted for 

 an average of 109 per annum during the past three years, but 

 20 years ago on the same basis of population the number would 

 have been 200. Korse accidents account for an average per 

 annum of 89, practically the same rate as that of 1877/79. 

 The deaths resulting from accidents in mining average 16 per 

 annum. 



Suicide. 

 The deaths from suicide are third on the list of deaths from 

 violence, with an average of 80 per annum during the past three 

 years. The rate has been practically stationary during the past 

 25 years, as the figures show : — 



