Annual report of the Director, Medical & Health Department / Colony of Mauritius.

  • Mauritius. Medical and Health Department
Date:
[1919]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Director, Medical & Health Department / Colony of Mauritius. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ) >. y »■1 COLONY OF MAURITIUS ANNUAL REPO ON THE s Aru. id LIBEARY MEDICAL & HEALTH DEPARTMENT For 1919 I.—STATISTICS OF POPULATION Population. The population of the Colony suffered great loss through the epidemic of Spanish Influenza which caused a heavy toll of mortality. The excess of deaths over births during the year reached the figure 11,194. Departures exceeded arrivals by 1,126 and the estimated population on 31st December 1919; viz. 36-1,493, showed a reduction of 12,320 on that of the preceding year. Deaths. The mortality was that of a period of epidemic. From 1831 the annals of our statistics only show once, in 1867, the year of the outbreak of epidemic Malaria, a death-rate (1 20°/00) exceeding that of 64.9°/00 recorded during the year under review. The total number of deaths was 24,455. If from this figure the number of deaths attributable to Influenza and its main complications during the epidemic viz. 11,063 is deducted, a roughly revised death-rate 35.5°/00 is obtained. This compares with 33.9°/00 f°r 1918 and with 32.8%0 i°r the preceding quinquennial period, but allowance has to be made to a certain extent for the more or less tardy complications of Influenza. The following tables shows the death-rates for the districts, with the mean rates for the five years 1915—1919. District 1915- | ]916 | 1917 1918 1919 Mean o oo Port Louis 41.0 38.7 44.4 50.4 126.9 59.4 Pamplemousses ... 40.9 33.9 41.7 40.8 70.5 45.4 Riv. du Rempart.. 29.2 24.5 28.4 27.0 46.5 31.2 Flaeq 34.4 33.5 30.3 31.2 62.6 34.5 Grand Port 37.5 32.3 30.6 33.5 59.1 38.6 Savanne... 35.9 28.8 30.4 28.4 49.5 34.6 Plaines Wilhems.. 27.6 22.8 26.4 29.8 47.9 31.2 Moka 33.2 28.2 29.5 27.6 55.8 34.9 Black River 40.1 37.7 35.1 40.1 74.4 45.4 Whole Colony... 34.8 30.4 32.5 33.9 64.9 39.3 The malaria mortality registered was 3,758. This exceeds the return of the previous year by 298 but is practically the same as 3,747, the average for the five year period 1914-1918. Dysentery caused 1,026 deaths, an increase of 114 over the preceding year. The usual details in connection with this part of the report are given in Annexure I. Births The total number of births was 13,261, with a birth-rate of 35.2 per thousand of the population. The natality has been greater by 152 than that of 1918 but the birth-rate stands below 36.4, the average for the preceding five years. The following statement shows the district birth-rates for 1915-1919. District 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 Mean o/oo Port Louis 38.3 40.2 40.0 37.0 34.7 38.0 Pamplemousses ... 31 9 34.1 37.4 33.6 36.3 34.6 Riv. du Rempart.. 38.9 38.4 40.5 37.0 37.8 38.5 Flaeq 33.3 33.1 34.0 32.8 33.3 33.3 Grand Port 35.9 36.3 37.7 36.6 35.8 36.4 Savanne.. 31.8 31.3 33.0 32.9 35.9 33.0 Plaines Wilhems... 34.9 36.1 38.1 33.3 34.6 35.4 Moka 33.2 30.8 34.7 35.6 37.6 34.3 Black River ... 33.0 2s.8 31.8 35.2 28.1 31.4 y Whole Colony... 34.8 35.0 36.9 34.8 35.2 35.3 Riviere du Rempart again takes the lead and Port Louis has fallen back. The series is formed by Molca with the second place, followed by Pamplemousses, Savanne, Grand Port, Port Louis, Plaines Wilhems, Flaeq and Black River. A