Supplement to the monthly and quarterly returns of the births, deaths, and marriages registered in Scotland during the year 1866; also the vaccination returns relative to the children born during 1865.

  • Great Britain. General Register Office.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Supplement to the monthly and quarterly returns of the births, deaths, and marriages registered in Scotland during the year 1866; also the vaccination returns relative to the children born during 1865. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    2192 persons died in the Eight Towns from diseases of the brain and nerves. This class of diseases thus constituted 8T per cent, of the specified causes of death, or cut oft’ in the proportion of 24 persons in every ten thousand. The proportion of deaths from brain diseases was highest in Aberdeen, and lowest in Leith. Of these diseases, Apoplexy caused 424 deaths, Paralysis 549, Epilepsy 77, Convulsions 511, Delirium Tremens 33, Insanity 21, Tetanus 10, and Cholera 5 deaths. Diseases of the heart and bloodvessels caused 1127 deaths, or 4*18 per cent, of the specified causes of death. The inflammatory affections of the respiratory organs proved fatal to 4738 persons in the Eight Towns, and thus constituted 17*5 per cent, of the specified causes of death ; or, in other words, during the year caused 51 deaths in every ten thousand persons. As in the previous year, Glasgow seems to have suffered most from these affections, Perth the least; for while only 11 *5 per cent, of the deaths were caused by these diseases in Perth, 207 per cent, were cut off in Glasgow. Of the other towns, 12*5 per cent, of the deaths were caused by inflammatory affections of the respiratory organs in Paisley, 13*8 per cent, in Aberdeen, 14*6 in Greenock, 14*8 in Dun- dee, 15*7 in Edinburgh, and 17*3 in Leith. Bronchitis, the most fatal of these affections, cut off 3317 persons in the Eight Towns, and of itself constituted 12*3 per cent, of the specified causes of death, or cut off in the proportion of 36 persons in every ten thousand living. The mortality from Bronchitis was very different in each of the Eight Towns. Thus, in Perth only 8*3 per cent, of the specified causes of death were caused by that disease, in Aberdeen 8*5 per cent., in Paisley 8*6 per cent., in Dundee 9f6, in Edinburgh 10*7, in Greenock 10*9, in Leith 12*4, but in Glasgow 14*9 per cent, of the deaths were from Bronchitis. Of the other inflammatory affections of the respiratory organs, Pneu- monia caused 922 deaths, Asthma 218, Laryngitis 44, Pleurisy 69 ; while in 168 cases, the disease was only described as Disease of the Lungs. Notwithstanding the varying general mortality from year to year, it is astonishing with what constancy a third of all the deaths which occur are caused by diseases which affect the lungs and respiratory apparatus. Thus, for many years, 34 per cent, of the deaths in the Eight Towns are annually caused by diseases of the respiratory organs, including, of course, Con- sumption, Croup, and Hooping-cough ; and during the past year this is the proportion in which these diseases have proved fatal. Thus the air, which is the chief source of our life, brings with it the elements of death. 1924 deaths in the Eight Towns were attributed to disease of the stomach and other organs of digestion. Of these, 603 were attributed to Teething, 313 to Enteritis, 103 to Ileus, 272 to disease of the Stomach, 377 to various diseases of the Liver, etc. 1544 infants in the Eight Towns died at or shortly after birth, from the debility of weakly constitutions, or from being born prematurely. The deaths from this cause, therefore, constituted 5J per cent, of the specified causes of death. 1309 persons, on the other hand, had their deaths attii- buted to old age, without marked disease. Of the other diseases, Cancer cut off 376 persons in the Eight Towns, Dropsy 384, Mortification 73, Disease of the Kidneys 366, Disease of Joints and Bones 90, Rheumatism 53, Disease of Skin 13, Carbuncle 8, Atrophy 207, Malformation 52, Disease of Uterus and Ovarian Dropsy 62,. Abscess 62, etc. B
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