Glasgow Courier. — 1861-12-19 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

GLASGOW COURIER, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 19, 1861.  BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES.  The following is the monthly return of the births, deaths, and marriages registered in the eight principal towns of Scotland during Nov., 1861:  _ . During the month of Nov. there were registered in the eight principal towns of Scotland the births of 2,555 children, of whom 1,284 were males, and 1,271 females. Of that number 2,310 were legitimate, and 245 illegitimate; which gives the proportion of one illegitimate in every 104 births, or 95 per cent, of the births as illegitimate. The proportions of illegitimate births in the several towns (considering Edinburgh and Leith as one town) were the following:— ln Greenock, 53 per cent. of the births were illegitimate; in Glasgow, 84 per cent.; in Paisley, B'6; in Edinburgh and Leith, 8'8; in Dundee, 120; in Perth, 125; and in Aberdeen, 172 per cent. 833 marriages were registered during November in the eight towns, being by far the largest number of marriages registered during any November since the registration act came into operation. The deaths in the eight towns during November amounted to 1,985, of whom 943 were males, and 1,042 females. That number does not include the victims to that melancholy accident which happened in Edinburgh, whereby, through the fall of an old house in the 'High Street, 35 persons lost their lives. Even without these the deaths during November exceed those of October by 403—thus showing the effects of a reduction of temperature on the general mortality. As exhibiting in a very marked manner the baneful influence of a reduction of temperature on the aged,it may be mentioned that,during the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th of Nov.' when the temperature fell below the freezing point of water, the number of deaths among persons advanced in life was unusually great. Of the 1,985 persogs whose deaths were registered during the month, 900, or 45 per cent., were under five years of age. The proportion of persons under five years of age who died in the several towns during the month amounted 8032 percent. of the deaths in Aberdeen; 39 per cent. in Paisley, Greenock, and Perth; 41 per cent. in Edinburgh; 42 in Dundee; 45 in Leith; and 51 in Glasgow. 477, or 24 per cent., of the deaths were caused by the zymotic (epidemic and contagious) class of diseases. This proportion was exceeded in Edinburgh from the prevalence and fatality of scarlet fever; in Dundee from the fatality of scarlatina, diptheria, and croup; in Leith from the fatality of measles and hooping-cough ; and in Perth from the high mortality from measles. Of the individual zymotic diseases in the eight towns, smallpox caused only six deaths; croup, 44; measles, 54; scarlatina, 67; diptheria, 18; typhus and gastric fevers, 97; and hooping-cough, 131. The low temperature during November, and the severe weather which was experienced, caused a great increase in the deaths from inflammatory affections of the Aspiratory organs. The deaths from these affections (not including hooping-cough, croup, or consumption) only amounted to 166 in September ; but during October they numbered 227; while during November they rose to 371 deaths. The deaths from consumption amounted to 224 in the eight towns. Apoplexy cut off 15 persons; paralysis, 44; and convulsions, 31; while only one death was attributed to delirium tremens, and three to intemperance. The very large number of 126 persons died from the effects of old age, without marked disease. Four males Eilld seven females bad passed their ninetieth year of life, one of them, the widow of ft distillery labourer, had attained the age of 99 years 8 months; while the widow of a mason's labourer had reached the extreme age of 100 years, 5 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days. Six suicides occurred in the eight towns during the month.