HH62/1/KIRKCU/7

Transcription

[Page] 6

facts, as the part that climate plays, are to be learned from the monthly
deaths; certain others again from averages over longer periods. I have,
therefore, followed the division into months, into years, and into
decennial periods. Yet other facts are to be learned within the county
itself, others from the comparison with larger areas. Tables, therefore,
are given to show the local deaths and rates, and others to show the
comparative deaths and rates. Once more, deaths arranged according
to age give us many important indications of the health or dishealth of
a people, but tables for this purpose are not yet ready.
Similarly, in the space-incidence of deaths, tables are designed to
show local and comparative facts and averages. The local tables give
the facts within the major and minor divisions of the county, showing,
so far as the death-rate can, the relative healthiness or dishealth of the
areas. Each major division or district has a table showing population,
deaths, and averages within its parishes. For a full estimate of the case
the Burghs should be calculated separately, but for the ten years this is
yet to do. But the figures for each Registration District are given, and
those districts where a burgh or royalty is the chief contributor of
deaths I print in larger letters. A little manipulation will, therefore,
quickly discover any contrast between burgh and landward figures. In
this county the contrast is seldom so marked as where burghs are larger,
for the conditions that tend to make burghs unhealthy in the specific
way of large towns as yet hardly exist in this county. For the burghs are
essentially small rural towns, only better organised than the villages.
Lastly, under the Local space-head I give a small table to show the rates
in the districts. The comparative facts for Space are readily got from
the comparative table for Time.

B. - DISEASE-INCIDENCE.
The assumptions at the basis of all inference from death-rates are
these:-
First. - Death-rates are disease-rates; for the causes of death may
all be classed as specific diseases or not, and, therefore, causes of disease
are à fortiori causes of death. Second. - It is also true that disease-rates
are death-rates; for some diseases are directly fatal, and the prevalence
of others not directly fatal always accompanies a high death-rate. The
tables for Disease-incidence, then, follow the same plan as those for
Death-incidence.

INDEX TO TABLE-SERIES.

1. - DEATH-INCIDENCE.
A. IN TIME.
(1) MONTHLY AND YEARLY.
(a) LOCAL. - Confined to two Counties:
TABLE I. - Actual Deaths for Ten Years (Kirkcudbright)
TABLE II. - Actual Deaths for Ten Years (Wigtown).
TABLE III. - Rates per 1000 (Kirkcudbright and Wig-
town).

(b) COMPARATIVE. - Including all Scotland, Mainland-Rural,
Small Town and Principal Town Districts:
TABLE IV. - Annual Rates per 1000 of Average Popula-
tions (Kirkcudbright and Wigtown).

(2) DECENNIAL - at four Census periods.
(a) LOCAL. - Confined to two Counties:
TABLE V. - Births, Deaths, Birth-rates, Death-rates
(Kirkcudbright and Wigtown).

(b) COMPARATIVE. - Tables incompleted.

(3) ACCORDING TO AGE. - Incompleted.

B. IN SPACE - FOR TEN YEARS.

(1) LOCAL. - Confined to two Counties.
(a) KIRKCUDBRIGHT - District and Parochial:
TABLE VI. - Northern District.
TABLE VII. - Southern District.
TABLE VIII. - Eastern District.
TABLE IX. - Western District.

(b) WIGTOWN - District and Parochial:
TABLE X. - Lower District.
TABLE XI. - Upper District.

(c) BURGHS. - Incompleted separately, but included in above
Tables.

(d) DISTRICTS. - Rates per 1000:
TABLE XII.

(2) COMPARATIVE. - See TABLE IV.