BIRTHS AND DEATHS: PUNJAB. 671 thousand in 1044 rural registration circles, with a population of 41,351,376. The ratio of mortality due to different causes was returned as follows:-Fevers, 18.82 per thousand; cholera, 041; small-pox, 3'14; bowel complaints, 151; injuries, o 48; all other causes, 3.21 per thousand. The mortality from smallpox was unusually high during the year. The average birthrate in 1883 was 40 84 per thousand, the highest on record since 1879, when the general registration of births was first introduced into these Provinces, and the highest in any of the Provinces of India in 1883. The birth-rates in the various Districts ranged from 58:24 per thousand in Lalitpur to 20'39 per thousand in Dehra Dun. Throughout the LieutenantGovernorship as a whole, 11181 boys were born for every 100 girls. Except in the malaria-infested Tarái, the registered births exceeded the deaths in every District, the total excess of births over deaths being at the ratio of 13:27 per thousand of the population. of the in 1877. In the Punjab, the death-rate for 1877 was recorded as 20 per Vital thousand, and the same rate applies to both males and females statistics taken separately. The District average varies from 27 per Punjab thousand in Lahore to 8 in Kohát on the frontier. In the towns, the mean mortality was 33 per thousand, varying between a maximum of 52 (in the town of Delhi) and a minimum of 12 (in Kohát). In 1877, births were registered only in the municipal towns of the Punjab, and the results showed a birthrate of 3186 per thousand. Excess of births over deaths, 5 per thousand of the population. of the In 1883, the total number of deaths returned in the Punjab Vital was 475,741, or at the rate of 25.25 per thousand of the statistics population (varying in the several Districts from 35 to 16 per Punjab thousand), the rate of male deaths being 25′13, and of female in 1883. deaths 25'39 per thousand. The urban mortality in 1883, in 49 towns and municipalities, with a population (excluding that of four hill sanitaria) of 1,310,383, was at the rate of 30 per thousand, as against 25 per thousand in 397 rural registration circles, with a population of 17,512,378. The ratio of mortality due to different causes was returned as follows:-Fevers, 16.25 per thousand; cholera, o'oi; small-pox, o'64; bowel complaints, o'77; injuries, o 28; all other causes, 7:29 per thousand. The average birth-rate during the year was 39 per thousand throughout the Punjab as compared with an average of 41 in municipal towns. Throughout the Punjab as a whole, 115.14 boys were born for every 100 girls, or an excess of 1514 per cent. of male over female births. The excess of Vital statistics of the Central Provinces in 1877. Vital statistics of the Central Provinces in 1883. Vital statistics of Berar in 1877. births over deaths was at the rate of 14 per thousand of the general population. The year, however, was an exceptionally healthy one, and the mortality from the chief diseases was less than in any year since 1877. In the Central Provinces and in Berar, the registration of births and deaths is more general, and the results obtained approach nearer to accuracy than in any of the other Provinces of India. The recorded death-rate in the Central Provinces in 1877 was 23'91 per thousand, varying from 38 in Mandlá to only 18 in Nagpur District. Among males the death-rate was 25.66, and among females 22.11 per thousand. In the towns, the rate was 35.86 per thousand. In 1877, the total number of births registered in the Central Provinces show a rate of 39 26 per thousand; varying from a maximum of 45 per thousand in Bilaspur to a minimum of 31 in Nagpur. The proportion of male births recorded was III for every 100 female births. Excess of registered births over deaths in the Central Provinces in 1877, 15.35 per thousand of the population. In 1883, the total number of deaths returned in the Central Provinces, among a population of 8,817,185 under registration, was 304,763, or an average rate of 34'56 per thousand (varying in the several Districts from 48 84 to 26'13), the rate of male deaths being 35.83, and of female deaths 33.28 per thousand, the excess of male over female deaths being 9 per cent. The urban mortality in 1883, in 74 towns and municipalities, with a total population of 757,092, was at the rate of 35 56 per thousand, as compared with 34°48 per thousand in 94 rural registration centres, with a population of 8,060,093. The ratio of mortality due to different causes was as follows:-Fevers, 19.86 per thousand; cholera, 184; smallpox, 0'53; bowel complaints, 3'02; injuries, o'52; all other causes, 8.79 per thousand. Total number of births registered, 357,864, or at the average rate of 40'59 per thousand, varying in the several Districts from 54 29 to 34'15. Male births preponderated over female births by 761 per cent. The excess of registered births over deaths was at the rate of 603 per thousand of the population. In Berar, the general registered death-rate was returned in 1877 at 281 per thousand. In the towns alone the mortality was 314 per thousand. The birth rate shown by the returns of 1877 was 39'5 per thousand, varying from 47 in Akola to 35 in Wún District. The number of male births recorded was 109 for every 100 female births. Excess of BIRTHS AND DEATHS: BERAR: ASSAM. 673 births over deaths in Berar in 1877, 11:40 per thousand of the population. statistics The year 1883 was a particularly unhealthy one in Berar, Vital owing, it is supposed, to abnormally heavy rainfall; and a severe of Berar epidemic of cholera largely raised the mortality returns. The in 1883. total number of deaths returned during the year was 135,081, or at the rate of 513 per thousand of the population (varying in the several Districts from 657 to 39'3 per thousand); the rate of male deaths was 51'4, and of female deaths 51'3 per thousand, the excess of male over female deaths being 7 per cent. The urban death-rate in 11 towns and municipalities, with a population of 138,378, was 53°2 per thousand, as against 513 per thousand in 134 rural registration circles, with a population of 2,491,640. The ratio of mortality due to different causes was as follows:-Fevers, 20'3 per thousand; cholera, 106; small-pox, 15; bowel complaints, 72; injuries, 0'4; all other causes, 113 per thousand. The average birth-rate in 1883 was 40'3 per thousand, varying from 432 to 37'8 per thousand, the male births exceeding the female by 6.5 per cent. Owing to the cholera epidemic, and general unhealthiness of Berar in 1883, the registered deaths exceeded the births in that year in the ratio of 11 per thousand of the population. statistics In Assam, the system of registration in 1877 was that Vital formerly in vogue in Bengal, of which this Province until of Assam recently formed part. The returns were taken over certain in 1877. selected areas, and the results were quite untrustworthy. The death-rate, as ascertained from these returns, was only 109 per thousand, varying in the several Districts from 29 to 5 per thousand. The births recorded in the selected areas were at the rate of 20 per thousand, ranging from 34 to 10 per thousand. The figures show an excess of deaths over births in Assam in 1877 of 4'9 per thousand of the population. of Assam Compulsory registration throughout the whole of Assam, Vital with the exception of certain hill tracts, was not introduced statistics till the latter half of 1882; and the results, as might be ex- in 1883. pected, do not even approximate to accuracy. In 1883, the total number of deaths registered was returned at 122,932, or an average of 27 14 per thousand of the population (varying in the several Districts from 41'89 to 16 27 per thousand), the rate of male deaths being 28 34, and of female deaths 25.89 per thousand. Excess of male over female registered deaths, 16 per cent. In 21 towns and municipalities, with a total population of 99,202, the average death-rate was VOL. VI. 2 U Vital statistics of British Vital statistics of British Burma in 1883. 3007 per thousand, as against 2708 per thousand in 657 rural registration circles, with a population numbering 4,428,732. The ratio of mortality due to different causes was as follows:Fevers, 14'90 per thousand; cholera, 3'29; small-pox, 136; bowel complaints, 319; injuries, 0'27; other causes, 4'12 per thousand. The average birth-rate in 1883 was 23.91 per thousand, those of the males exceeding the females by nearly 10 per cent. Excess of registered deaths over births, 323 per thousand of the population. In British Burma, registration is shown to be even more defective than in the worst Provinces of India. The average death-rate, according to the returns in 1877, was 17:44 per thousand, the rate for males being 18, and for females 16 per thousand. In Myanaung the deaths were returned at 119, and at Maulmain at less than 13 per thousand. In the towns the mortality was 34 per thousand, compared with 15 in the rural circles. The birth returns showed a rate of only 21 per thousand; and this general average,' to use the words of the Report in 1877, 'is made up of such extremes that no reliance can be placed on the figures.' In one place the birth-rate was no less than 115 per thousand, in another it was as low as 5. Excess of registered births over deaths in British Burma in 1877, 4 per thousand of the population. No improvement in registration in British Burma seems to have been effected up to 1883. Indeed, in that year the death-rate had fallen below the figures returned for 1877. In 1883, the total registered deaths numbered 53,583, or rate of 1467 per thousand of the population under registration (varying in the several Districts from 21 ̊42 to 9°22), the male deaths being returned at 15:37, and the female deaths at 13.86 per thousand. The excess of registered male deaths over female deaths was 27 per cent. In 20 towns and municipalities, with a total population of 425,775, the registered death-rate was 25.50 per thousand, against 1324 per thousand in 823 rural registration circles, with a population numbering 3,227,854. The ratio of mortality due to different causes was as follows:-Fevers, 719 per thousand; cholera, o'60; small-pox, o'19; bowel complaints, 076; injuries, o°17; other causes, 5'76. The birth-rate of the Province was returned at 23 per thousand, ranging in the several Districts from 3165 to 16.60. The registered male births exceeded those of the females by 6 per cent. The registered births exceeded the deaths in the ratio of 80 per thousand of the population. A revised scheme of HEALTH OF THE EUROPEAN ARMY. 675 registration for British Burma is now (1884) under considera tion, the adoption of which it is hoped will result in more accurate statistics. statistics. After what has been stated in the introductory paragraph of Danger of this section, it is manifest that the figures quoted from the using these Reports of the Sanitary Commissioner with the Government of India are of little or no value for the purpose of establishing the comparative healthiness or unhealthiness of the different portions of the country. To construct a comparative table out of the provincial returns would be misleading, if any attempt were made to use it for actuarial purposes. But the tables on the four following pages may be interesting as showing the defects and uncertainties of Vital Statistics in India, as well as the progress towards accuracy which has been effected between 1877 and 1883 in registering births and deaths among the general population. The wide variations in both the birth and death rates for various Districts usually arise from different degrees of imperfection in the registration. of the European HEALTH OF THE EUROPEAN ARMY.-The sanitary statistics Health of the army in India are, in every way, more trustworthy than those obtained for the general population; and as they have Army; been regularly collected on a uniform system for a number of years, it is possible to draw valuable inferences. The sanitary history of the European Army during 1877 its general was more favourable than in any previous year for which the statistics in 1877, statistics are on record. The total strength of the European Army in India in 1877 was returned at 57,260 men; the admissions into hospital numbered 71,992 (1257 per thousand of average strength); daily sick, 3196 (56 per thousand); deaths, 728 (1271 per thousand). The averages for the five years 1871-1875 were as follows:-admissions into hospital, 1394 per thousand; daily sick, 57; deaths, 1762 per thousand. 'Not only,' writes the Sanitary Commissioner, 'do the results compare favourably with the averages of the five years 1871 to 1875, but, what is deserving of special notice, the admissionrate and death-rate are the lowest which have yet (1877) been attained.' In 1883, the total strength of the European Army in India and 1883. was 55,525; the average admission into hospital being at the rate of 1336 per thousand; daily sick, 63 per thousand; while the deaths were 10.88 per thousand, the lowest on [Sentence continued on page 680. |