Glasgow Courier. — 1864-04-14 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES. Monthly return of the births, deaths, and marriages registered in the eight principal towns of Scotland, for March, 1864, published by authority of the Registrar-General.  During the month of March, 1864, there were registered in the eight principal towns of Scotland the births of 3154 children, of whom 1614 were males and 1540 females. Of that number, 2890 were legitimate, and 264 illegitimate; giving the proportion of one illegitimate in every 11'9 births or B'3 per cent, of the whole births as illegitimate. The proportions of illegitimate births in the several towns (Edinburgh and Leith being considered as one) were as follows:—In Paisley, 4.9 percent. of the births were illegitimate; in Greenock, 5'9; in Elinburgh and Leith, 6'9; in Glasgow' B'3; in Dundee, 9.4; in Aberdeen, 13'0; and in Perth, 14'1 per cent. 468 marriages were registered in the eight towns during the month. This is just about the average number for March during the last nine years. The deaths of 2915 persons were registered during March, of whom 1479 were males, and 1436 females. These numbers show the mortality to have been extremely high, being nearly 400 above the highest number recorded for March since 1855. Of the 2915 deaths recorded during the month, 1194, or 40 per cent., were of children under five years of age. In Edinburgh 32 per cent, of the persons who died were under 25 years of age; in Perth, 33 per cent.; in Aberdeen, 34 per cent.; in Dundee, 39 per cent.; in Paisley and in Greenock, 43 per cent.; in Glasgow, 44 per cent.; and in Leith, 50 per cent. The zymotic (epidemic and contagious) class of diseases proved fatal to 764 persons, and thus constituted 26 per per cent, of the mortality in the eight towns. This rate, however, was exceeded in Aberdeen, Leith, and Dundee, in consequence of the prevalence and fatality of typhus fever in Aberdeen, in hooping-cough in Leith, and scarlet fever in Dundee.  Typhus has again proved the most fatal of the epidemics, having caused 224 deaths, or the high proportion of 76 per cent, of the mortality in the eight towns —being an increase of 18 deaths in the eight towns above that during February. Glasgow and Aberdeen, however, e the only towns where the increase has been observed: in all the other towns the mortality from typhus has been lower than during February. In Glasgow, however, the increase is very great, seeing that only 81 persons died from that disease in that town during February, but 111 during March. When typhus appears as an epidemic in Scotland, it generally breaks out among the low Irish, so that the inhabitants of Glasgow should take warning in time, and make efforts to arrest the pestilence which is apparently threatening them. In former reports, attention has been directed to the fact that typhus seems to be almost endemic to Aberdeen. During March the mortality from that disease amounted to the very high proportion of 171 per cent, of the deaths. The authorities ought to investigate this subject, for otherwise the town is one of the healthiest in Scotland, its liability to typhus being almost its sole peculiarity, in so far as diseases are concerned. Of the 224 cases tabulated under the common term of typhus, 144 were registered as typhus fever, 37 as inflammatory, relapsing, or simple fever, 25 as gastric fever, and 18 as typhoid or enteric fever—those different forms—if they are really different—being in nearly the same proportion to each other as during the previous month.  Hooping-cough caused 158 deaths in the eight towns, constituting 5•4 per cent, of the mortality, of which 16 occurred in Leith, being 19 per cent. of the deaths in that town.  Small-pox caused 92 deaths, measles 44, scarlatina 82, diphtheria 39, diarrhcea, dysentery, and cholera, 35, croup 48, metria 7, and erysipelas, 14. Apoplexy caused 52 deaths, paralysis 59, and diseases of the heart, 107. The deaths from inflammatory affections of the respiratory organs (not including consumption, hooping-cough, or croup) amounted to 552. Those from consumption alone numbered 385 in the eight towns. Two deaths resulted from the abuse of alcoholic liquors. Of the deaths from violent causes, which numbered 62, only one was registered as a case of suicide. Eleven of the persons who had died had passed the 90th year of life; the oldest of whom, an unmarried female, was aged 100 years. The month of March 1864 has been damp and exceedingly cold. The barometer has been low, almost without precedent; but steadily low, so that there have not been any violent storms of wind. The mean temperature has been low beyond any month of March yet recorded; and seems to have been affected or characterised, rather by the absence of warm days, than any excessive rigour of the nights. The humidity of the air has likewise been remaikable, and slightly in excess of any previous March. The number of rainy days has not been remarkable; but the denth of rain fallen has been sensibly above the mean. The strength of the wind has been rather below the average; and its direction nearly normal, or pretty well balanced between E.N.E. and W.S.W. The lowest mean temperature was at Aberdeen=37l ; and the highest at l'erth=3B•B. The least depth of rain fell at Eclinburgh=2•so inches; and the greatest at Paisley=6•62 inches.  On Thursday afternoon, Messrs William Denny & Brothers launched from their lower yard a magnificent iron paddle steamer, of 2040 tons builders' measurement, named the Glengyle. She is built to the order of Messrs Jardine & Mathieson, of London, and is intended for the China river trade. —OnSaturday, Messrs Aitken & Mansel launched from their shipbuilding yard, Whiteinch, a handsome paddle-steamer of 630 tons.—A handsome iron screw steamer, of 1200 tons builders' measurement, was launched on Saturday afternoon from Mr Archibald Denny's yard, Dumbarton. She was named the Kentucky, and is built, we understand, for a Glasgow house.-0a Saturday, Messrs Blackwood & Gordon, Port Glasgow, launched from their shipbuilding yard a fine screw vessel, named the Ta Pang Nyo, for the China trade, and for the same owners as the Yuen Tze Fee, to which vessel she will be similar in many respects, although of larger diMen• O&M and tonnage,