HH62/1/AYR/7

Transcription

[Page] 6

It will be noticed that, with the exception of the decennial
periods 1811-21 and 1841-1851, the ratio of increase has been diminish-
ing with each decade down to 1871, followed by a considerable
increment for the next decennium, and this increase falling over four
per cent. during the last inter-censal period. Compared with Scot-
land, we find that the rate of increase in Ayrshire, which at the
beginning of the century was nearly double that of Scotland, was
only a half during the last decade. Although there is a decided
increase on the whole in Ayrshire for the last ten years, this is to a
large extent accounted for by the considerable addition to the
population in the burghs of Ayr and Kilmarnock, as well as in
Ardrossan, Saltcoats, Troon, Maybole, &c. There is a decrease in
the landward part of the county of over 1000, the Kilmarnock
District alone showing an increase of the non-burghal population,
while the falling off was most marked in the Carrick District. Of
the population of 226,342 there are 105,738 in burghs, and 120,604
in the landward part. As it is with the latter that we are chiefly
concerned, we shall note the non-burghal population for each of the
four districts of the county as follows:-

(1.) Northern District, comprising the twelve parishes of
Ardrossan, Beith, Dalry, Dreghorn, Dunlop, Irvine,
Kilbirnie, Kilwinning, Largs, Stevenston, Stewarton,
and West Kilbride, --- 41,572
(2.) Kilmarnock District, comprising the eleven parishes of
Craigie, Dundonald, Fenwick, Galston, Kilmarnock,
Kilmaurs, Loudoun, Mauchline, Riccarton, Sorn, and
Symington, --- 27,504
(3.) Ayr District, comprising the thirteen parishes of Auchin-
leck, Ayr, Coylton, Dalmellington, Dalrymple, Monkton
and Prestwick, Muirkirk, New Cumnock, Ochiltree, Old
Cumnock, Stair, St Quivox, and Tarbolton, --- 38,005
(4.) Carrick District, comprising the nine parishes of Ballantrae,
Barr, Colmonell, Dailly, Girvan, Kirkmichael, Kirk-
oswald, Maybole, and Straiton, --- 13,523

Total, 120,604

There was some difficulty in getting the landward population
separated from that of the burghs, as the registration districts include
both rural and urban, In the case of the area of the non-burghal
divisions of the county, it could not be got with any exactness, so
that the area given includes the burghs, but it may be accepted as
practically correct for statistical purposes in connection with the
non-burghal population.

PAST SANITARY CONDITION OF THE COUNTY.

The available data of the sanitary history of the county, as
furnished by the reports of the Registrar-General, are somewhat
meagre. Although these reports give more or less detailed state-
ments of the statistics of towns of over 25,000 inhabitants, those of
counties are much less complete, while they do not differentiate the
landward from the burghal districts. The following table, compiled

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from the Registrar-General's reports, exhibits the total death-rate and
the zymotic and tubercular death-rates of Ayrshire per 1000 of the
population during the last three decades:-

DEATH RATES OF THE COUNTY OF AYR, 1861-91.

[Table inserted]

As the last detailed report of the Registrar-General is that of
1889, the mean annual death-rates from the zymotic and tubercular
diseases are given only for nine years of the decade, 1881-90, but the
total death-rate includes those for the ten years. It will be thus seen
that during the twenty years previous to 1881 there has been no
change in the total death-rate, although there appears to be a slight
improvement in the death-rates from zymotic and tubercular diseases.
During the last decennium, however, there has been a decided
reduction of the total death-rate as well as of the mortality from the
other two groups of diseases. The reduction of 3 per 1000 in the
death-rate of the average population of Ayrshire (about 222,000) during
the ten years means a saving of 660 lives annually, or 6,600 for the
decade. It must not be supposed that the fall in the death-rate was
as much due to the sanitary improvement in the rural as in the urban
districts, for we find that the rate of mortality in the burgh of
Kilmarnock alone fell during the same time nearly double that of the
county.
The great improvement which the mortality statistics indicate
in those recent years is no doubt due to the growth of sanitary
science and the more general observation of its principles. Among
the diseases which show a marked reduction may be mentioned
typhus and typhoid fevers, diarrhoea, and tubercular diseases - in
short, diseases which are fostered and propagated to a large extent
by insanitary conditions. One of the greatest sanitary improvements
within recent years has been the introduction of a wholesome and
adequate supply of gravitation water to a number of our towns and
villages, while the lessons taught by the invasion of enteric fever
and diphtheria in many dwellings led to the overhauling and remedy-
ing of faulty drainage, which had been such a source of disease and
death, especially in the better class houses. The transmission of
disease through the agency of milk supplies has likewise been re-
ceiving considerable attention during these recent years.
With all this progress in sanitation there is yet considerable
room for improvement, particularly in our towns and villages, so
that we may be hopeful of a further reduction in the preventable
diseases, which still bulk too largely in our mortality returns.