Glasgow Courier. — 1861-09-19 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

BIRTHS, DEATHS, AND MARRIAGES.  The following is the monthly return of the births, deaths, and marriages registerd in the eight principal towns of Scotland for August :  During the month of August, there were registered in the eight principal towns of Scotland the births of 2,650 children, of whom 1,357 were males, and 1,293 females. Of that number 2,405 were legitimate, and 245 illegitimate, which gives the proportion of one illegitimate in every 108 births, or B'l per cent, of the births as illegitimate. The proportions of illegitimate births iu the several towns (considering Edinburgh and Leith as one town) were the following :--In Perth, only 4% percent. the births were illegitimate; in Edinburgh and Leith, 31 per cent; in Greenock, B'2; in Glasgow, 86; in Paisley, 101 ; in Dundee, 125; and in Aberdeen, 141 per cent.  523 marriages were registered in the eight towns during August, a number considerably below the average proportion, if increase of population be allowed for. 1,532 deaths were registered in the eight towns during the month ; the smallest number of deaths registered during any August since the Registration Act came into operation, and greatly below the average. This appears to be a result chiefly due to two causes : firBi, to the fact that the heat has been moderate, the mean temperature having only amounted to 58°.5, so that the usual increase of deaths at this season, by the prevalence and fatality of bowel complaints, has not sufficed to raise the general mortality; and secondly, to the fact, frequently before observed in Scotland, that the excessively heavy falls of rain which occurred at intervals during the month seem to have kept the atmosphere more pure, and thus in a marked manner to have diminished the prevalence and fatality of all classes of disease. Of the 1,582 persons who died during the month, 663, or 41 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 was-32 per cent, of the deaths in Aberdeen; 34 per cent. in Perth; 36 in Edinburgh; 37 in Dundee and Leith; 41 in Greenock; 46 in Glasgow; and 51 per cent. in Paisley. The zymotic (epidemic and contagious) class of diseases proved fatal to 346 persons in the eight towns, and thus constituted 21 per cent, of the de dhs. In Perth, however, from the combined prevalence and fatality of dysentery and measles, the deaths from that class of diseases amounted to 49 per cent, of the moitality. Of the epidemic diseases, small-pox cut off 14 persons; measles, 42; scarlatinia, 26 ; diphtheria, 7; typhus and gastric fevers, 60, in the eight towns. Of the individual epidemics, hooping-cough WU the most fatal, proving fatal to 73 children, and thus constituting 46 per cent, of the deaths. The usual autumnal bowel complaints, diarrhosa, dysentery, and cholera, cot off 87 persons in the eight towns, and thus constituted 54 per cent, of the general mortality. Dundee, Paisley, and Perth are the only towns where this proportion was exceeded-7'l per cent, of the deaths in Dundee' 7•3 per cent. in Paisley, hut no less than 333 per cent, of the deaths in Perth being caused by these diseases. Taking the whole towns, however, the usual increase of these maladies during August has not been observed, as 83 died therefrom in July, which number had only increased to 87 during August. The continued mild weather had its usual effect on the inflammatory affections of the respiratory organs, allowing these to fall from 202 in July to 155 during August. The deaths from consumption, which are not so amenable to the same laws, numbered 245 in the eight towns during the month. The deaths by accidents are somewhat high; 18 lives having been lost by drowning, and 32 by accidents. The majority of the lives lost by drowning were from the upsetting ot small boats. The unusual number of eight suicides occurred in the eight towns during the month. One child died after two hours illness from eating dulse, supposed to be in a state of decay. Four nonagenarians died during the month, the eldest being a widower of 96 years of age. The meteorological returns for six of the principal towns in Scotland, reduced and corrected as heretofore, for instrutuental errors only, give for their mean position, i.e., lat. 56'12 N. long. 3°14 W., and height 140 feet above the sea-level, in the month of August 1861 : —Mean barometric pressure, 29198 inches, less than the average for the same month in 1856-7-8-9-60 by 0-071 inch. Barometric monthly range, 0195 inch, less by 0172 inch; thermometer, highest in month, 70'6, less by 5"8; thermometer, lowest in month, 46°1, greater by 3'2; mean temperature, 58"5, greater by 0'1; mean daily range of temperature, 11'2, less by 3°'7; mean humidity, 80, greater by 2; rain, number of days, 21, greater by 6; rain depth in inches, 7'17, greater by 416 inches; wind, pressure on square foot, 2'28 lbs., greater by o'Bllb ; Wind, direction of E. to W. as 2 to 18, and N. to S. as 2 to 8; the average of former years being E. to W. as 5 t,o 11, and N. to S. as 4to 6. Hence it appears that the month of August has had a higher mean temperature than the average of former yearn, and has attained the maximum of any month yet observed in 1861. This superior warmth has been further characterised by absence of violent alternations of cold and heat, by unusual humidity in the air, more than twice the average quantity of rain, and an unusual proportion and amount of W. and S. wind. The highest mean temperature was at Edinburgh, 61'3 ; the lowest at Paisley, 56'.6. The greatest humidity of the air was at Paisley, 88; the least at Edinburgh, 70. The greatest depth of rain and number of rainy days at Greenock, 1115 inches, and 26, respectively ; and the least depth of rain at Edinburgh, 3'07 inches. The prevailing direction of the wind at every station was W.S.W. except at Paisley, where it was west; N.W. winds having occurred there 80 often as to overbalance, on the mean of the month, the ti.W.  AN