79 
caused by phthisis, old age, convulsions, and pneumonia 
The diminution in the nnmber of deaths from old age will 
perhaps be regarded as an unfavourable result which is 
hardly compensated by the diminished fatality among 
infants aud young children from convulsions. 
The deaths from old age and convulsions in the 10 yearly 
periods were : — 
10 Years 1854-63. 10 Years 1864-73. 
Old age 272,434 282,490 
Convulsions... 251,330 262,170 
Phthisis. 
The disease which caused the greatest number of deaths 
in both the ten-yearly periods was phthisis. In the first 
ten years the number of deaths was 508,210, and in the 
second 532,780; but allowing for the increase of population 
there was a decrease of 7T per cent in the rate of mortality. 
This decrease however was not equally shared by the two 
sexes, the decline of the rate among males being only 2*4 
per cent, while among females it amounted to 12*6 per cent; 
nor was there a decrease at all ages, but on the contrary 
between the ages of 25 and 65 there was an increase of 4*5 
per cent. More than half the deaths from phthisis occurred 
at ages under 85 years; and more than 45 per cent be- 
tween the ages of 15 and 35. 
Pneumonia. 
The deaths from pneumonia in the first ten years were 
242,757, and in the second 228,069, the decrease in the 
death-rate being 16'6 per cent. With males the decrease 
was 15 ‘6 per cent, and with females 18*8 per cent. There 
was however, as in the case of phthisis, an increase between 
the ages of 25 and 65, the amount being 13 ’7 per cent. In 
the first ten years the deaths under 5 years of age were 
68*1 per cent of the deaths at all ages; but in the second 
ten years the proportion was reduced to 60‘8 per cent. 
