Annual report on the Medical Department / Straits Settlements.

  • Straits Settlements. Medical Department.
Date:
[1931]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report on the Medical Department / Straits Settlements. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/148 (page 10)
    (1).—Improvement of Public Health Two graphs and three diagrams numbered I, II, III, IV and V are enclosed. The graphs demonstrate the improvement in public health during the last generation. I is a graph depicting the mean monthly death-rate in Singapore from all causes in the decennial periods 1903—1912 and 1913—1922 and in the nine years 1923 to 1931. Material is not available to make such a graph for the whole Colony. II is a graph giving a monthly comparison between the last two census years 1911 and 1921 and the year 1931. Diagrams III, IV, and V explain themselves. It is not correct to state that every case of pneumonia is avoidable and many cases of convulsions, though not shown as preventable, are preventable. Nevertheless the diagrams do give an idea of the amount of disease and of death that is preventable. (m).—Vital Statistics 1. Under heading Table III, pages 100 to 104 the following ten tables are appended— Table III A.—Estimated population with birth and death-rates for the years 1930 and 1931. Table III B.—Quarterly death-rates for various parts of the Colony during the past three j^ears. Table III C.—Population estimated racially and collectively of the Straits Settle¬ ments for the years 1931, 1930 and 1929. Table III D.—Births registered in the Straits Settlements during 1931 and their ratio per mille of population. Table III E.—Births registered in the Straits Settlements during 1931 according to Nationalities. Table III F.—Deaths registered in the Straits Settlements according to Nationa¬ lities. Table III G.—Deaths registered in the Straits Settlements during 1931 under different group of ages. Table III H.—Table showing the Infantile Mortality^ (under one year) in the Straits Settlements including children born elsewhere. Table III I.—Table showing the Infantile Mortality (under one year) in the Straits Settlements, according to Nationalities, excluding children born elsewhere. Table III J.—Deaths registered in the Straits Settlements as regards certificates in the year 1931. 2. The number of births registered throughout the Straits Settlements during the year 1931 was 41,361 (males 21,502 and females 19,859) as against 44,703 (males 23,204 and females 21,499) in the previous year : this represents a crude birth-rate of 36^98 per thousand persons living as compared with 38-25 in 1930 and 37‘20 in 1929. 3. In every 100 births registered, there were 51 ‘99 males and 48-oi females. 4. One thousand five hundred and thirty-seven still births were registered in 1931 as compared with one thousand seven hundred and sixty-one still births in the previous year—the percentage to those born alive was 372 as against 3^94 in 1930 and 475 in 1929. 5. The highest birth-rate according to nationalities was 39.19 per thousand of population amongst the Chinese, the Malays condng next with a ratio of 37'93 per thousand of population vide Table III E. 6. The deaths from all causes in 1931 were 27,369 (males 16,703 and females 10,666) as against 31.928 (males 19,950 and females 11,978) in the previous year. The average death-rate for the last 10 years is 2871 per thousand.