HH62/1/DUNBAR/16

Transcription

[Page] 16

in Bearsden, in the Eastern District, a similar excess exists, the
cause here being the number of domestic servants. On the other
hand, in Bowling, Duntocher, Garscadden, Knightswood, Twechar,
Auchinstarry, Condorrat, and Smithston (all in the Eastern District),
the males are considerably in excess, and here again the character
of the work carried on explains the difference. In Scotland, in
1881, there were 107·59 females for every 100 males. I was sur-
prised to find that in Dunbartonshire (including the burghs), at
the same census, the ratio was only 101·90 females to 100 males.
This must be largely due to the burgh population, and perhaps
especially to the burgh of Dunbarton, where the occupations -
ironfounding and shipbuilding - involve little or no female labour.
It is necessary to note the influence which such ratios have on
death-rates. Taking all ages combined, females have a distinctly
lower death-rate than males. Among equal numbers of the two
sexes there are for every 100 male deaths only 90 female deaths.
On the other hand, between the ages of ten and twenty, females
have a rather higher death-rate than males. But the main influ-
ence which this class of inhabitants has on the death-rate depends
on the fact that it increases the percentage of population at the
healthiest ages of life. Everyone knows that children have a much
higher rate of mortality than adults. While the all-age or "crude"
death-rate is only 18 or 20 per 1000 living per annum, the rate
under five years of age is from 50 to 60 per 1000 living at that
period of life. And from ten to twenty-five years of age the annual
death-rate is only from 6 to 7 per 1000 living. Obviously, there-
fore, the addition to an average community of a large number of
persons belonging to these latter periods of life, will lower the
general death-rate quite independently of any sanitary improve-
ment in the condition of the place, and quite independently, too, of
any actual improvement at any one period of life. In comparing
the death-rates of the Vale of Leven, and of residential populations
like Row or Gareloch, with those of localities where ordinary age
averages prevail, this fact must be borne in mind. On the other
hand, in mining villages of the Eastern District, there is a
large population under five years old, and the total death-rate
is in consequence to some extent exaggerated. Better standards
of sanitary condition than those furnished by the total death-rate
will be dealt with further on.

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