H.—3l

40

Considering the numbers of persons dying at the different age-periods, the following table of ten years' results shows the age of 30 years to be the time of life at which deaths from cancer begin to be numerous (it is really 35 for males and 30 for females). The maximum of deaths is reached at the period of 60 to 65 for males, and 55 to 60 for females. These remarks are given without reference to the numbers of persons living at the various ages. Deaths from cancer, it will be observed, are very rare among children under 5 years, and not frequent in those above that age.

Deaths from Cancer. — Decennial Return. — Table showing the Number of Persons (Males and Females) at Different Ages registered as having died, from Cancer in New Zealand during the Ten Years 1898 to 1907.

The numbers of deaths of persons from cancer in each provincial district are given in another table, according to age-groups, but the result merely shows the disease to be one found everywhere throughout the Dominion —at least, there is not sufficient evidence of climatic conditions affecting the mortality to a great extent in any particular part of the country.

Table showing the Number of Deaths from Cancer registered in each Provincial District of the Dominion of New Zealand during the Years 1904-7.

The death-rates for cancer in respect of each sex are given for each of ten years, selected to show the position as from 1886 to 1907:— • Deaths from Cancer in every 10,000 Persons of each Sex living in New Zealand. Year. Males. Females. Year. Males. Females. 1886 ... ... 3-69 3-67 1903 ... ... 7-51 6-63 1890 ... ... 4-72 4-79 1904 ... ... 7-23 6-23 1894 ... ... 6-65 5-27 1905 ... ... 6-79 6-18 1898 ... ... 6-77 5-98 1906 ... ... 7-10 6-79 1901 ... ... 648 6-77 1907 ... ... 741 725 The mortality was higher among the males than among the females (with the exception of 1890 and 1901), which is the reverse of English experience, where the rate was 7 - 94 per 10,000 males and 1032 of females for the year 1906. In the United Kingdom, however, the rate of increase is so much higher among males than with females that the Registrar-General calculates equilibrium will be reached in about the year 1932, and thereafter the rate among males would exceed the rate among females.

IPJ Under 1 Tear. ® S3 I !| sj || g r »rtrrl 0 opoooooooooo^^S<e tto 5 r ear. .898 .899 .900 .901 .902 .903 .904 .905 .906 .907 1 1 i i .. i 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 1 2 1 i 2 1 4 5 1 2 3 3 *2 .. 1 .. 4 1 3 1 .. 1 1 1 2 6 4 3 2 3 3 3 1 5 1 2 5 r> 6 2 1 3 2 5 4 2 5 5 10 9 9 9 7 R 6 6 8 7 9 (i 10 8 11 17 15 7 20 22 20 15 15 2;1 24 36 21 Hi 31 35 37 25 20 29 45 47 42 10 53 4!) 47 35 39 18 49 47 48 35 60 50 OH 57 68 57 (12 77 82 75 05 72 09 72 67 70 74 79 64 78 80 88 87 99 84! 102 101 69 87 59 74 86 96 99 ' 96 107 !lO4 35 45 51 63 67 72 79 99 82 ilOO 30 27 31 33 31 38 31 38 50 65 9 19 20 11 15 15 33 19 26 22 469 467 428 514 536 581 569 565 619 669 471 468 430 515 536 582 571 566 623 674 1 1 1 1 2 2 1 1 2 i

Provincial Districts. Under 5 Years. SY^s.^ 1904. 1905. Over _ , . 5 Years. iotaL 1906. 1907. Under 5 Years. SYelrJ^ Under 5 Years. Under 5 Years. Over 5 Years. Total. Auckland Taranaki Hawke's Bay Wellington ... Marlborough Nelson Westland Canterbury ... Otago 1 114 21 25 113 5 32 16 109 134 115 21 25 113 5 32 16 109 135 110 20 16 106 6 25 10 112 160 110 20 16 106 6 25 10 112 161 "2 127 25 33 122 15 26 19 114 138 127 25 33 124 15 26 19 114 140 1 1 146 30 32 113 15 20 16 153 144 147 30 32 114 15 20 16 155 145 1 1 "2 •a 1 Totals ... 569 571 1 565 566 4 619 623 5 669 674