SCOTTISH BIRTH-RATE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1162, 24 June 1911, Page 12

SCOTTISH BIRTH-RATE.

LOWEST TOTAL FOR HALF A CENTURY. ■ Tho fifty-sixth report to the Registrar. General, regarding tho births, deaths, and marriages registered in Scotland during tho year ending December 31, 1910, has been issued, together with the 4Gth annual report on vaccination. The births registered in Scotland during the year 1910 numbered 124,000, They aro 455J2 fewer than in the previous year, 0440 less than the average nutabcr during the preceding five years, and 7419 less than the avcrago number registered during the preceding ten years. That is to say, the number of births registered is tho smallest in any year sinco 1890. ihc maximum number of births registered in Scotland in any one year was in 1903, that number being 133,523. Since that year, the diminution has been a decided one and moro so during the last two years. The birth-rate for the year is 25.10 Tier 1000, a rate which is 1.20 less than that of tho previous year,, 2.10 less than those of the preceding live years, 3.11 less than tho moan of the rates of tho preceding ten years and is the lowest Scottish annual birth-rate recorded in theso reports, that is, sinco 1855. Tho previous lowest was that of 1909, which was 20.30. In the principal towns the birth-rato for tho year ranged from 32.1 in Coatbridge, 31.7 in Hamilton, 29.31 in Greenock to 19.0 in Edinburgh, 21.3 in Kilmarnock, and 21.G in Edinburgh. In tho previous year tho principal town with the highest birthrate was Hamilton, 33.4 and that, with the lowest Edinburgh with 20.9, 0.85 per . cent, of the registrations for the year were illegitimate.

. The. total number of deaths registered in Scotland during 1910 was 72.245, 2319 fewer than in the previous year, 3735 less than tho average number registered during the preceding ten years. Tho number of deaths registered is tho smallest for any year since 1890. This is tho first year in which tho death-rate in the principal towns has fallen below that in tho mainland-rural districts.

Among those whoso deaths were registered in Dundee, Greenock, Aberdeen, Glasgow, Leith, Perth, Paisley, and Edinburgh during the year, there wero 41 males and 110 females aged 90 years and upwards. The oldest man was a commercial traveller, whose death was registered at 100, and tho oldest women wero three widows, nged 100, 103, and 105. An examination of tho deaths registered in these' towns shows a decreaso of tho annual death-rate from phthisis, amounting in Edinburgh to 45 per cent. _ . Marriages registered in Scotland during 1910 numbered 30,866; 774 moro than wero registered during tho previous year, but 1016 fewer than the average number registered during the preceding five years and 1111 fewer than the average number durincr the preceding ten years. , The marriage-rate of the year is 0.26; it is 0.09 above that of the previous year, but is 0.42 less than mean of marriagerates of tho preceding five years, and 0.G2 less than the mean of the rates of tho preceding ten years. The marriaEorate, though somewhat above that of the previous year, is exceptionally low, being 1 less than all previous Scottish marriage rates siuco 1885, that of 1909 excepted.