SCOTTISH VITAL STATISTICS,

Otago Witness, Issue 2572, 1 July 1903, Page 21

SCOTTISH VITAL STATISTICS,

The report for 1902 of the Registrargeneral for Scotland has just been issued, and records a fairly satisfactory state of matters. While the marriage total (31,878) ib practically stationary, there is some decrease in both the births and the deaths Of the 132,250 births, 8202, or 6.2 per cent., were illegitimate. This is the lowest rate for such births recorded since theso reports began to be issued 48 years ago, which looks as if the dark blot upon Scotland's good name were beginning to be removed. Tho highest totals were 13 per cent, in Banff and 12.2 per cent, in Wigtown ; but, high as these figures are, they «how a considerable improvement even a« compared with those of a few years ago. The total number of deaths was 77,946, or 17 2 per 1000. This is the lowest rate of mortality recorded since 1896. The higitest death-rate was in Glasgow—viz., 20 per 1000. Of the other large towns, the order according to death-rate is — Greenock, Paisley, Dundoe, Perth. Aberdeen, Edinburgh, and Leith. In regard to deaths from cancerous affections, Edinburgh and Dundtee head the list, but probably a number of the cases were from other carts of the country and were brought to EHinburcrh, at anyrate, for treatment. Taking Scotland as a whole, malignant tumours caused 1523 deaths during the year, or 4.83 per cent, of the total mortality.