2? 



absolute deaths are only three to four times as great between 

 15 and 20 years as between 10 and 15, whence we conclude that 

 phthisis not only appears from the table of absolute mortalities 

 as a disease of developed life ; but from this table of relative 

 mortalities its tendency to attack the fully grown is made twice 

 as manifest. 



But to speak more strictly, it is especially a disease of the 

 reproductive period of life. 



If we turn again to the table showing the absolute deaths 

 from consumption among women, we observe that they in- 

 crease rapidly from 10 to 15 years, but very rapidly indeed 

 from 15 to 20 years, during which quinquennium they reach 

 their maximum for all ages. From this point they gradually 

 diminish regularly and slowly until the age of 45 is reached, 

 when there is a sudden fall to one-half of what it was during 

 the previous five years. For the next fifteen years the deaths 

 vary very little, and then suddenly decrease to insignificance. 

 That is to say, phthisis becomes eminently fatal immediately 

 on the accession of puberty among females, so as to reach its 

 maximum at once, remains very prevalent, though gradually 



Age in years. 



A 



B 



c 



D 



E 



F 



1 .. 



2,762 



3-26 



2,340 



3- 



5,102 



3-3 



2 . 





533 



11-25 



498 



8- 



1,031 



10- 



3 . 





212 



14-0 



194 



o- 



406 



7- 



4 . 





141 



0- 



141 



7- 



272 



4- 



5 . 





230 



22- 



191 



21- 



421 



21- 



10 . 





312 



19- 



301 



13- 



603 



16- 



15 . 





198 



35- 



192 



130- 



390 



38- 



20 . 





213 



183- 



236 



275- 



449 



232- 



25 . 





265 



185- 



254 



232- 



519 



208- 



30 . 





236 



212- 



231 



242- 



467 



228- 



35 . 





287 



185- 



246 



203- 



533 



192- 



40 . 





297 



195- 



242 



149- 



539 



174- 



45 . 





302 



119- 



216 



143- 



518 



129- 



50 . 





293 



106- 



171 



76- 



464 



116- 



55 . 





317 



95- 



161 



81- 



478 



90- 



60 . 





316 



66- 



185 



65- 



501 



66- 



65 . 





281 



60- 



176 



11- 



457 



42- 



70 . 





214 



23- 



175 



23- 



389 



23- 



75 . 





206 



5- 



154 



6- 



360 



5- 



80 . 





120 



. . 



111 





228 



, . 



85 . 





61 



. . 



52 



. . 



113 





90 . 





23 



. m 



18 



. . 



41 





95 . 





10 



• • 



12 





22 



•• 



A. Deaths from all diseases among males in South Australia during 1874-77. 



C. " " " " females " " " 

 E. " " " " both sexes " " " 



B. Ratio per 1,000 of deaths from phthisis to deaths from all diseases among males. 



D. " " ■' " " " " females, 

 p. " " " " " " " both sexes. 



