The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-25

in Is54-Numbss Of BiTfhs-F~egners and
Mattress % Paytnfs-Deaths The Number |
Aged People Marriages Old People Married
Young People Dfho-No Marriages in Several
Toscns- Counties uhere Marriages scere most
NumeroUs-C otugn and Dalton.
The thirteenth report Of the registry and returns
of the births marriages and deaths in Massachusetts,
embracing those for the year ending Dec. 81, 1854,
has just been completed by Mr. Wright, Secretary Of
the Commonwealth or rather under his superinten-
dence. The tabular abstracts accompanying the re-
pert we're prepared by Mr.. e. p Robinson, clerk
in the State Department who has executed his work
with care and despatch The report itself has been
made by DR.. Shurtleff, perhaps the man best quail
fed in the country for the task.
The number of births in 1854 was 81 ,997 being
increase of OFT over that of 1858. OF these
1852 we're males, Is i69 were females and the sex
OF lI0 was nos -eeeItaned. The rate of increase
VINO not 30 great as ~ hue heen in the two preceding
years The number Of children ~, Of Ame;can
parents was l64 70; of parents one =. both ~
whom were of foreign birth, 1886; origin .ot
ascertained, l,66l. or those Of foreign or mixed
origin; l2,476 had both parents Of foreign birth;
1888 had foreign fathers and American mothers, and
687 had American fathers and foreign mothers. The
ratio Of increase in the births of children of pa
was in 1863 while there was considerable diminn-
ton in the number of children born of American
mothers and foreign fathers. The county of Suffolk
had the largest number of children born in it of
parents Of foreign origin. That county alone has
produced an excess of births largely in favor Of the
foreign element, fact not to be wondered at when
we recollect that something more than one-haf the
population was of foreign origin.
The number of male children born in Massachu-
setts considerably exceeds that OF the other sex.
During the six years ending December 81 1854,
there were born in Massachusetts ,Slt males,
84,l34 females and $50 children OF sex not ascer-
tanned. The excess Of males in 1854, was 1858,
whereas it 1896 in 1851 This rule does not hold
good in all parts o. The State, in the counties of
Berkshire Bristol ana Plymouth tic number of
girls born in le5l was larger than that of boys.
The increase of hiths in Boston, in one year. was
but 90, showing much falling off as compared with
1868, and some as compared with earlier years. 1t
is a curious fact, that out Of 1852 fathers who
had children born to them in 1854, in Boston, only
410 are reported as beng native born Bostonians,
singular proof of the change that has come
were natives of the United States. Ireland con-
trbuted 1924 fathers, and 1856 mothers The
number OF native born Bostonian mothers was
only 524 There were but SO twin births ia Boston,
against 81 in the preceding year. Seven births oc-
CURED in one house, in Oliver street, and the
number in house in Orange street. Five children
were born in one house and several others three
or four contributed IN each to the common stock.
Great trouble is experienced in getting the number
of Births through the Ignorance, suspicious and
iealouses Of parents.
In many others of the cities the proportion of chill
dren born Of foreign parents is as remarkable as it
is in Boston, In other cities the difference is quite
as decided the other way. Even in not few Of the
small towns the foreign increase much preponderales.
The OnlV county which there
more deaths than births, is Nantucket where
the births were 1872, and the deaths 1870. In
Middlesex there were 1894 more births than
deaths. The other counties that made the largest
gains in this way were Essex, Suffolk Norfolk aud
Worcester The whole number of births in the
State as already stated was 81 ,997 of Deaths a.
Ala; excess Of births $50. In As cities and large
towns soniyTTn FIJI River and Nantucket, showed
an excess OF deaths, being 1873 in the former place
and in tie latter Ia nne OF these places the excess
Of births exceeds even the whole number of deaths.
The deaths were very equally divided between the
sexes 10, 7l0 males dying to 1858 females The
preceding year death paid his addresses to most
lib than it was in 1853 but only 99l larger than
in l849; but the latter year was very bad one.
The average age of the deceased was PIG years,
whereas in b3 il was but 26S7. In $50 the average
was 277s OF the deaths, 4,lss were of children
under one year; under five years. S,079. The next
most fatal period is between 20 years and 30, at
four women were upwards Of one hundred years
old. One Of the women died from accidental
fall, like that fisky old girl" La Desmond, who
is reported to have been prematurely cut off at 100,
she had climbed after fruit. In this in
stance the woman was of color, lived in
Pittsfeld,. and was ITO years old. An old
woman died in Boston aged 1903. Two of
these centennarians died in aims houses. OF the
causes of death the following are the most remar-
kable :-Consumption, ISL; pneumonia, Qung
ia; typhus fever s07; measles, 325; hopping
cough, 26s; erysipeas 1925 dysentery, 1885, Group,
562; diarrhGa, 22l cholera, 49, cholera infantum,
528; hydrocephalus, 46l; teething, 1856; old age,
I071, Of whom 63l were females, and all but 81 were
over 40 years of age; violence, sS7; suicide so, of
whom so were males and 20 females, showing that
women can bear the ills Of life better than men, and
which would have been inferable, even if we had
no statistics upon which to base conclusions ac-
cidents, 2e9; drowned, 34s; burns and scalds, 70;
heat AZ; poisoned H. suifocated and frozen, each;
murdered, Z; hydrophobia, 81 by lightning 4; execu-
ton, Il abortion, ]; starvation, l. The number Of
deaths by intemperance 49, just one more
than by suicide. The greatest number Of suicides
were pcrpetrated in the merry month OF May" ex-
cept July, which had IL, while May had 10; June
had O. April, 8; February, and November had but T.
though the last named month is the in which,
according to the popular idea, the disposition to
commit suicide is by far the strongest of any. I
may mention here that the statistics of suicide in
Europe 30 far as they have been gathered, show
that November has no claim to be considered the
month OF suicide.
The number Of marriages in 1864, according to
the returns, was 10 6s3, or 500 more than in 1853,
or 2,l05 more than in $50. An awful thing, truly,
this increase. The parties were divided as iollows
Americans, 1892: foreigners, 4,797; Americans
married to foreign women, 542; foreigners married
to American women, 5l2; parties whose nativity
was not ascertaned, $40. Some two-thirds OF the
men married in Boston were over rs years, and
nearly as large proportion of the women were un-
der that age. The greatest number of marriages
took place In November, probably to compensate for
the deficiency Of suicides. March had the smallest
number. Thanksgiving day is the favorite occasion
in autumn for celebrating marriages, and that oc-
ours in November. The youngest males married
were two boys Of 49, who had brides older than
themselves, the difference being six years in one
case and two in the other Several boys Of IL were
married one Of them actually giving his hand to
woman Of double his own age, "a. II il to be hoped
that she spanked him. Boys always fall in love with
women. as men do with girls The youngest females