Deaths from Diphtheria and Croup, Whooping-cough, Malarial Fever, Puerperal Fever and Erysipelas, etc. — Concluded.

Malarial Fever. 111, and the average weekly mortality was 2. These numbers are scarcely large enough to warrant any just conclusions as to the seasonal prevalence of the disease, which, fortunately, is not very fatal, and does not, therefore, manifest itself very prominently in these statistics.

The deaths reported from this cause were

The reported deaths from malarial fever for the first half of the year were 48, or 43 per cent. of the whole, and those of the last half were 63, or 57 per cent.

Puerperal Fever. - The total number of reported deaths from this cause for the period of nine years was 493, and the weekly average was 9.5.

The mortality was maintained at a comparatively high rate from January to April, and then declined gradually to the close of the year.

The number of deaths in the first half of the year of this period was 321, or 65 per cent., and those of the last half were 172, or 35 per cent.

Erysipelas. The total number of deaths reported from this cause for the period of nine years was 617, and the weekly average 12. Of this number, 457, or 74 per cent., occurred in the first half of the year, and 160, or 26 per cent., occurred in the last half.

The mortality rate from erysipelas continued high through

out the first part of the year, from January until the middle of May, when it rapidly declined to midsummer, continuing through the last half of the year at a comparatively low rate, with a slight rise in November and December.

Generally speaking, the curve of mortality from this cause followed a similar course with that of puerperal fever, but with a greater contrast between the mortality of the first and last half of the year, and with a more rapid decline during the

summer.

Small-pox. The total number of deaths from this cause (46) during the nine years was so small as to be of but little value for the purpose of illustrating seasonal prevalence.

The Influenza Epidemics of 1889-90 and 1891–92. The accompanying table and diagram illustrate the reported mortality from acute lung diseases during the prevalence of the two epidemics of influenza in 1889-90 and in 1891-92.

The former epidemic manifested itself by a sudden rise in the mortality from these diseases, beginning about the 20th of December and culminating in the middle week of January, and then falling off quite suddenly in February to about the usual rate for these diseases.

The second epidemic, two years later, began with a more gradual rise in October and November and then increased much more sharply in December, continued for nearly three weeks at its maximum in January, and declined nearly as sharply as in the previous epidemic two years before:

MORTALITY RATES OF CITIES.

The following tables contain the mortality rates for each week of those cities which have sent returns to the State Board of Health during 1891.

These rates are calculated from the estimated population for 1891, the method of estimating the population being that which is usually employed. This method is based upon the supposition that the annual rate of increase which prevailed between 1890 and the preceding census was also maintained to the middle of the year 1891. This method is the same as is employed by the registrar-general of England, and is the most reasonable mode. The cause which is most liable to act as a disturbing element in this method is the difference in the rate of immigration and emigration in successive years.