the deaths reported for the last six months of 1905, and the annual death-rate per 1,000 population:

The table shows that for fifty-six counties with an estimated population of 1,755,599 the 12,236 deaths registered in the last six months of 1905 indicate an annual death-rate of only 13.9 per 1,000 population.

Of the main geographic divisions, Northern California shows the lowest death-rate, 10.1, and Southern California the highest, 15.2, as compared with 14.3 for Central California, and 13.9 for the entire State.

Of the minor divisions, both the coast and interior counties of Northern California have death-rates, 10.3 and 10.0 respectively, which are considerably below the State average. There is a similar showing besides only for the bay counties other than San Francisco (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo), with a death-rate of 12.4.

The highest death-rate, 16.1, is for Southern California, exclusive of Los Angeles (i. e., Santa Barbara, Ventura, San Bernardino, Orange, Riverside, and San Diego counties). In descending order, the death-rates. are 15.1 for the City and County of San Francisco, 14.9 for the coast counties of Central California, comprising Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo counties, 14.6 for Los Angeles county, and 14.2 for the interior counties of Central California extending from Yolo, Sacramento, and El Dorado in the north to and including Kern in the south.

In explanation of the low death-rates for both the coast and interior counties of Northern California, it should be noted that the returns were not particularly complete for this part of the State.

Similarly, the relatively high death-rates for Los Angeles and other counties of Southern California are due largely to the deaths of recent residents from tuberculosis, and partly, also, to the sixty-five fatalities

*Exclusive of Humboldt County (population enumerated in 1900, 27,104, and estimated for 1905, 28,922) for which alone no vital statistics at all were reported.

The deaths from tuberculosis of persons who had resided in the State less than a year number 158 for Southern California-106 for Los Angeles, and 52 for the other six counties.

from the "Bennington" disaster in San Diego harbor. Thus, if these exceptional deaths were excluded, the death-rate for Southern California would be reduced from 15.2 to 14.1, for Los Angeles from 14.6 to 13.8, and for the other counties from 16.1 to 14.6.

The death-rate for Northern and Central California together is 13.6, or somewhat less than the corrected rate for the seven counties of Southern California. The rate for the coast counties from Del Norte to San Luis Obispo, inclusive, is 13.9 against 12.8 for the interior counties from Siskiyou and Modoc to Kern. That the death-rate is higher for the coast than for the interior counties is due mainly to the relatively great mortality usual in a metropolis like San Francisco.

Causes of Death. The following table gives the number of deaths by principal classes for the State as a whole, and also for Northern, Central, and Southern California separately. For convenience in comparison, the proportion from each class per 1,000 deaths from all causes is likewise shown:

Comparison of the proportions reveals interesting contrasts between the three main geographic divisions in the relative prevalence of different classes of diseases. Thus, in Northern California, 95.2 of every 1,000 deaths were caused by epidemic diseases, as compared with only 56.0 for the entire State. Diseases of the nervous and respiratory systems and deaths from old age are also relatively more prevalent in Northern California than in the State as a whole. In Central California, the proportion is above the general average especially for diseases of the circulatory system (136.0 per 1,000 for this division against 126.4 for the State) and also in less degree for diseases of the respiratory and digestive systems. In Southern California the proportion is particularly high for other than epidemic general diseases, the class which includes tuberculosis, the proportion being 290.2 per 1,000 for this division against only 246.0 for the State as a whole. Southern California also exceeds the State in the proportion of all deaths caused by diseases of the genito-urinary system or due to various forms of violence.

The analysis of causes of death in different localities is carried a step farther in the table below, which gives corresponding figures for the eight minor geographic divisions:

Study of this and the preceding table brings out notable points about causes of death in the eight minor geographic divisions, as follows:

In comparison with the average proportions for the State as a whole, the proportions for the coast counties of Northern California are particularly high in the case of diseases of the nervous system and deaths from old age, the proportions per 1,000 total deaths being respectively 170.8 and 75.0 for this group of counties against general averages of 104.8 and 26.4 for the State. It should be remembered, however, that many of the deaths reported for this geographic division occurred at the Mendocino and Napa State Hospitals. In this division the proportion of all deaths caused by epidemic diseases is also considerable, being 72.9 against 56.0 for California as a whole.

For the interior counties of Northern California the proportions are particularly high for epidemic diseases (the proportion per 1,000 deaths being 109.6 as compared with 56.0 for the State), for diseases of the respiratory system (119.1 for this division against an average proportion of 99.2 for all California), and for violence (123.1 for this division. against 102.5 for the entire State).

San Francisco exceeds the State especially in the proportion of all deaths caused by diseases of the circulatory system (158.0 against 126.4) and of the respiratory system (117.2 against 99.2 per 1,000 deaths).

In the other bay counties (Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, and San Mateo) the proportions are above the general average particularly for diseases of the nervous system (122.8 against 104.8), of the digestive system (113.8 against 98.5), and also of the circulatory system (136.9 against 126.4).

The coast counties of Central California, from Santa Clara and Santa Cruz to San Luis Obispo inclusive, surpass the State especially in the proportions of all deaths caused by epidemic diseases (72.1 in contrast with 56.0) and by diseases of the nervous system (142.3 in contrast with 104.8 for the State).

The interior counties of Central California from Yolo, Sacramento, and El Dorado to and including Kern, also show a considerable proportion for epidemic diseases, 71.7 per 1,000 deaths from all causes, and exceed besides in deaths by violence, the proportion for this division being 128.7 against 102.5 for the State as a whole.

Los Angeles County surpasses the State particularly in the proportion for other than epidemic general diseases, the class which includes tuberculosis, the proportion per 1,000 total deaths being 317.5 for this county against 246.0 for California as a whole. The proportion for diseases of the genito-urinary system in Los Angeles, 75.0, is also somewhat above the average of 63.7 for the entire State.

In the remaining six counties of Southern California, also, the proportion for other than epidemic diseases is relatively high, 247.7 per 1,000 total deaths, as is besides the proportion for violence (158.0 against 102.5 for the State). However, one third (65 of 192) of the deaths from violence in this geographic division resulted from the explosion on the U. S. S." Bennington" in San Diego harbor.

Tuberculosis. The following table shows the number and per cent of total deaths caused by tuberculosis in each main and minor geographic division:

In the State there were 1,813 deaths from tuberculosis, or 14.8 per cent of the total 12,236 reported. The per cent of all deaths due to

tuberculosis is highest, 21.4, for Los Angeles; next 17.0, for the other six counties of Southern California; and next, 15.0, for San Francisco. The per cent is below the average for the State in both divisions of Northern California and in the three divisions of Central California outside the metropolis. The per cent was 19.7 for the seven counties of Southern California against only 13.2 for Northern and Central California.

It should be noted, however, that deaths of newly arrived consumptives are much more numerous in Southern California than in the rest of the State. This appears clearly from the following table showing the length of residence in California of those who died of tuberculosis in the last six months of 1905:

The table shows that 25.8 per cent of those who died of tuberculosis in Southern California had lived in the State less than a year, the per cent being 26.2 for Los Angeles and 25.1 for the other six counties. The corresponding figure for Northern and Central California together is only 4.3, and that for the entire State is 11.6 per cent.

In fact, many of the tuberculosis victims in Southern California had been in the State only a few months. The length of residence in months