Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-19
BIRTH RATE DECREASE
CHANGE NOTED IN THE SIZE OF
SCOTTISH FAMILIES.
Special cablegram to The Star.

Special cablegram 10 The Star.
EDINBURGH, February 19.-According
TO the reports to the registrar general of
Scotland the average Scottish family now
adays included only four children as against
-FOUR and one-half generation ago. And
what Is perhaps even more remarkable Is
the fact that this loss is observed among
the country mans family, not among the
jewellers in the towns. Two generations
back the average family was still larger
The statistics also show that the shepherd
and the gamekeeper are among the healthi-
est and the longest lived OF men. Compared
with them the residents OF the towns die
young. The reason for this is believed to
be the open air life of the shepherds
The decrease In the birth rate is even
more remarkable when taken in connection
with the statistics upon the subject of mar
rage 1t appears that DIS. 654 marriages
have been registered during the last decade
and of this number IS, 276 are in excess of
the marriages of the decade previous All OF
these things are regarded as evidences of a
higher standard of comfort demanded by
the younger generation. The proportion of
males marrying between the ages of twenty
ana twenty-five was relatively greater than
IN the previous decades, while the proper
Ilon OF those married under twenty and
over forty was relatively less. From all of
thls the registrar general concludes that
the average number of births per maria ge
Is so markedly decreasing that it may be
assumed that there is a true falling off in
the fertility of marriage
Edinburgh physicians who have always
been in the van In matters of importance in
medicine are certainly holding their own.
In a single week they have made giant
strides in their researches into cancer in
sanity and paralysis.
First of all. it should be stated that the
efficacy of the treatment of cancer by in
al n has Inc Il
striking confirmation from q series Of ex-
perlments conducted in the research Iabora-
tory of Edinburgh University under grant
from the Carnegie trust Among seven or
eight cancerous mice two We're for the pur-
poses of experiment injected with a trypsin
solution After twenty-five days from the
date of the experiment the control Il. E.. un-
inoculated mousse died of cancer. The
tumor was found to be about as large as
the last joint of mans thumb.
Inoculated With Trypsin.
One of the mice inoculated with trypsin
had died apparently from some injury
caused by an accident IN it's cage after ten
days under observation when the tumor
was already found to be In an advanced
stage of degeneration. On the twenty-sec-
ond day when the control mouse died Of dis
ease, the tumOr of cancerous growth of the
other 'trypsin mouse" was found to be
only as big as a lentl-"an apology for a
stage of degeneration, shrinking away to
nothingness, and quite harmless
The distinguished scientists report con-
cludes that tits cure for cancer was not
far distant and the microscopicaI examina-
ton confirmed this opinion. Even without
further treatment the tumor would in all
probability have been absorbed shortly or
its remains cast out"
Regarding the Bacillus of Insanity" DR..
Forbes Robertson in the first of the Mori-
son lectures at Edinburgh put forword re-
Gently a theory as 10 the cause of general
paralysis in the insane which the medical
faculty are discussing, though they In no
wise accept ii as conclusive. However. the
lecture of DR.. Robertson was unusually in
teresting because it dwelt with many facts
not even known TO the medical world. DIR.
Robertson declared that there is evidence
available 10 show that generally paralysis
and the allied disease are as specific IN their
causation as tuberculosis, typhoid fever or
diphtheria.
In this connection in medical circles It Is
stated that DR.. McRae has made researches
into the subject of general paralysis of the
insane, and that he has made discoveries
which give promise of startling the medical
world. DR.. McRae, however, declines to be
lutpTVtD uuOu This subject