12 PRINCIPAL CAUSES OF MORTALITY IN QUEENSLAND 



Maleh. 



This rate is hi<,'her than the English rate, which is only 2-6 

 per annum per 10,000 living over age 20. Twenty years ago 

 the English rate was 2-2, thus showing a slight increase. 

 Respiratory and Diarrhoeal Diseases. 



It is not possible to trace the history of these two classes 

 of disease on account of the rec9r(]s being swelled by the 

 deaths of large numbers of Polynesians, which, except in the 

 more recent years, cannot be eliminated. Comparing the 

 Queensland ratios (exclusive of Polynesians) with the English, 

 we have the following figures for the years 1897/98 : — 



Annual ratio per 10,000 males 



living over age 15. 



Queensland. England. 



Respiratory diseases . . 150 265 



Diarrhoeal diseases . . 3-7 1'2 



General. 

 A table of comparison showing at a glance the ratios of 

 deaths occurring from all the most important causes in Queens- 

 land and in England is interesting. The latest reports available 

 from England are for the years 1897 and 1898, and I have taken 

 out results for the same years from the Queensland experience. In 

 order that the result may yield a fair comparison, I have divided 

 the deaths into three groups — from ages 15 to age 45, from 45 to 

 65, and from 65 upwards ; this grouping yielding in England as 

 nearly as possible equal numbers of deaths. The deaths in each 

 group in the Queensland experience I have proportioned to the 

 ratios shown in the English statistics, so that the ' Queensland 

 ratios are not those of actual experience, but as they would be if 

 the age distribution of the population were of a more normal 

 character. To these I have appended results derived from the 

 Mortality experience of the Mutual Life Insurance Company of 

 New York, for the years 1894 98, dealing with their figures in the 

 same way. In this case though, from the way in which the figures 

 are presented, I have had to take the dividing age between the 

 second and third groups at 60 instead of 65, but the general 

 result will not be appreciably affected. This Company's business 

 is now world-wide ; but, as far as the deaths are concerned, 

 over 90 per cent, are recorded as having occurred in the United 



