554 PROCEEDIXGS OF SECTION G^. 



While, however, throughout Australia the death-rates from 

 phthisis are diminishing, and, therefore, the position in regard to this 

 troublesome disease is improving, when the actual total loss of life 

 is considered, it becomes evident that no measures for its prevention 

 •can be considered too stringent. 



During 1907 the Commonwealth suffered a loss from phthisis 

 alone of 2,863 deaths, and during the 5 years 1903-7 a total of 

 16,603 deaths. 



Age and Sex Distribution of Deaths from Phthisis. — Figure 4 

 shows the average numl^er of deaths from phthisis at each age-group 

 .shown, for the ten years 1897-1906. This figure refers only to 

 West Australia, and tlie hgaires for that State prior to 1897 are 

 not available. It is seen also that the maximum is reached for 

 females in the 25-30 age-group, and for males in the 30-35 age-group. 

 The Figure also shows that the liability of females to die from 

 phthisis is less than tliat of males up to the age of 15 years, exceeds 

 that of males till the twenty-fifth year, and from the twenty-fifth year 

 onwards males- are much more liable to die from phthisis than 

 females. 



To compare tliese facts with those for England and Wales — 



'■ In England and Wales, as a whole, the age of highest mortality 

 is at ages from 45-55 for males and at 35-45 for females. In the rural 

 group of counties it is from 25-35 for both sexes." (Bulstrode, 55th 

 Annual Local Government Board Report, 1905-6, p. 42.) 



The experience of AVest Australia is thus seen to be in accord 

 with that of the rural group of counties in England and Wales. 



To quote the same report again, p. 44: — " . . the liability of 

 females to die of pulmonary tuberculosis at ages under 5 is less 

 than that of males, while between the ages of 5-25 feyiales are more 

 liable thus to die than males; after this age the liability is decidedly 

 greater among males." 



This shows that in West Australia females enjoy comparative 

 immunity for 10 years longer than in England — that is, they begin to 

 exceed males at 15 years of age instead of at 5, so that the period 

 during wliich their plithisis mortality is greater than that of males 

 is 10 years shorter than in England. 



Dr. Bulstrode discusses the reason why girls suffer from phthisis 

 more than boys in England at ages 5-25, in which discussion he 

 says : — ■" It is, in his (Beevor's) view, the full-grown lung of the girl 

 of 15 years of age which, having lost its resistance to the tubercle 

 bacillus, leads to the death-rate of the 15-yeai--old girl from phthisis 

 being equal to that of the boy of 17." 



It is interesting that the Australian tables show that it is at the 

 15-year period that the phthisis rate among girls begins to exceed 

 that among boys. 



Figure 4 shows us further that the age-group wlien phthisis is 

 markedly prevalent are those between 20-50 in both sexes — i.e., the 

 ages when persons of both sexes have the greatest economic value in 

 the community. 



Further, we see tliat the number of deaths under 15 is espe<}ially 

 small, being the lowest points on the curve up to 70 years of age. 



