[From Manx Quarterly #7 1909]

The Registrar-General's Report for 1908.

(ISLE OF MAN.)

Race Suicide Imminent.

The, Registrar-General (Mr Herbert Story) recently laid before the Tynwald Court the thirty-second annual report upon births, deaths, marriages, and vaccinations in the Isle of Man, and the report has now been issued in blue-book form. As usual, the information contained in the document is well-compiled and of much interest, while the tables which are given as appendices are carefully drawn up, and are very useful for purposes of comparison. Mr Story, at the outset, mentions that in the report all rates given, whether for the lsland or for the individual parishes and towns, have except otherwise stated, been calculated upon the basis of the population as estimated at the census in April, 1901. After giving particulars of the area, houses, and population in 1901, and comparing the population as estimated at the census of 1901 with the population as ascertained in 1891, the report sets out the following

GENERAL SUMMARY.

The, marriages registered in 1908 numbered 370; the births, 1,044, and the deaths, 901.. The marriage rate per thousand of the population was 6.7; the birth rate, 19.0; and the death rate, 16.4. The excess of births over deaths was 143, or 2.6 per thousand of the population. These rates in the immediately preceding year (1907) were: Marriage, 6.1 ; birth, 19.5; death, 16.3; and excess of births aver deaths, 3.2 per thousand of the population.

A table gives the yearly average of rates (per thousand of population) of marriages, births, and deaths for quinquenial periods since 1889, as follows :-

In connection with these yearly averages of quinquennial periods, it is well to note how the excess of births over deaths is gradually falling off. The figures are as follow:-

Evidently the principles so fervently advocated by the late Dr Malthus are taking root to some purpose in the Isle of Man The population is practically stationary, the marriage rate shows but a trifling reduction, and yet in twenty years the excess of births over deaths has fallen by over one-half. Persons skilled in arithmetic may exercise themselves in computing how long it will take at this rate for the Manx people to consummate race suicide.

The record year for marriages as between 1889 and 1908 was 1895, when 430 couples took the plunge. In 1903-when the depression attendant upon Dumbell's Bank failure was in its acutest stage-only 308 marriages were solemnized, this figure being the lowest during the twenty years. 1889 was the most prolific year in regard to births, 1,578 Manxmen and Manx-women making their debut on the world's stage during that particular twelve months. Last year-1908-had the dubious distinction of the lowest number of births of any year in the two decades. The figure was 1,044.

Death was busiest in 1890, when joined the great majority. 893 passed away in 1907, this being the lowest figure reported in any year of the twenty under notice; but 1916 was a good second with 894.

MARRIAGES.

The marriages registered in 1908 in the respective divisions of the Island were --Western (comprising the town of Peel and the parishes of German, Patrick, Michael, and Ballaugh), 42, or 13 above those registered in 1907; Northern (comprising the town of Ramsey, and the parishes of Maughold, Lezayre, Andreas, Bride, and Jurby), 58, or 23 above those registered in the immediately preceding year; Eastern (comprising the town of Douglas, and the parishes of Onchan, Lonan Braddan, and Marown), 230, or 3 more than in 1907; and Southern (comprising the town of Castletown, and the parishes of Malew, Arbory, Santon, and Rushen), 40, or 6 below 1907.

The marriages registered in 1908 in the towns of Peel,Ramsey, and Castletown respectively were 21. 16, and 4, as against 15, 9, and 3 in 1907. In the town of Douglas, 118 marriages, or 16 more than in 1917, were registered in 1908. The marriages registered in 1908 in the, parish of Braddan and town of Douglas cumbered 202, as against 187 in 1907, or rather more than one-half of the total marriages registered in either year.

The marriages of bachelors and spinsters (312) constitute 84.3 per cent. of the total marriages ; of bachelors and widows, 9, or 2.4 per cent.; of widowers and spinsters, 42, or 11.3 per cent.; and of widowers and widows, 7, or 2 per- cent.

Of the 370 men who married in 1908, 321, or 86.8 per cent., were bachelors, and 49, or 13.2 per cent., were widowers. Of the 321 bachelors, 312, or 97.2 per cent., married spinsters; and 9, or 2.8 per cent., married widows. Of the 49 widowers who re-married, 42, or 85.7 per cent., married spinsters; and 7, or 14.3 per cent., married widows. The bachelors (321) who married in 1908 were 21 above those in the immediately preceding year, 1907.

Of the 370 women who married in 1908, 351, or 95.7 per cent., were spinsters; and 16, or 4.3 per cent., were widows. Of the 354 spinsters, 31.2, or 88.1 per cent., married bachelors; and 12, or 11.9 per cent., married widowers. Of the 16 widows who re-married in 1908, 9, or 56.3 per cent., married bachelors; and 7, or 43.7 per cent., married widowers.

Of the persons who married in 1908, 51 were under the age of 21 years, or 27 above the number in 1907. Of these, 11 were men and 10 women; so that, in 1908, in every 100 marriages the percentage under 21 years of age was 2.9 men and 10.8 women ; while in the immediately preceding year, 1907, 7 of the men and 27 of the women were minors.

The men who in 1908 signed the marriage register with marks instead of writing their names, were 5, or in the proportion of 1.3 in 100 ; and 5 women, or in the proportion of 1.3 in 100. In one marriage both bridegroom and bride used that form of signature.

BIRTHS.

The births registered in the Western Division during the year were 110, or 13 less than the number in 1907 ; in the Northern Division the births registered were 153, or 5 less than in 1907 ; in the Eastern Division the number was 636, or below 1907; and in the Southern Division the figure was 145, or 6 less than in 1907. The rates for the respective divisions were : Western, 13.5; Northern, 16.6; Eastern, 22; Southern, 16.8. The rates in the immediately preceding year, 1907, stood as follows : Western, 15.1 ; Northern, 17.1; Eastern, 22.2; and northern, 17.5. 535 males and 509 females were born during the year.

ILLEGITIMATE BIRTHS.

The illegitimate births in 1908 numbered 69, or 4 less than in the previous year. The percentage of illegitimate births to the total number of births was 6.6.

As usual, the rural districts outshone the urban districts in the matter of proportion of illegitimate births to total number of births. In the case of the urban districts this proportion was 4.45, while in the case of the rural districts it was 7.85. The figures for the various towns and parishes were as follows: -

It should be noted that in the case of Braddan the big proportion is mainly to be accounted for by the fact that the Home for the Poor is situate in the parish, and that many single women resident in other parts of the Island and in destitute circumstances, repair to the Home for purposes of confinement.

DEATHS.

The death rates in 1908 for the several divisions of the Island were:-Western, 11.1 per 1,000 of the population of that division living; Northern, 16.3; Eastern, 18.4; and Southern, 14.9: against 16.3, 17.0, 17.5, and 14.8 recorded in the several divisions in the preceding year, 1907. It will, therefore, be seen that there was an increase in all the divisions as compared with the rates recorded in the preceding year, 1907, except the Western.

The apparent death rate in 1908 of the parish of Braddan was 30.3, as against 24.8 in 1907; but after deducting from the total number of deaths (66) registered in that parish. of persons belonging elsewhere who died at the Lunatic Asylum (25), at the Home for the Poor (20), and at the White Hoe Isolation Hospital (3), the true death rate of the parish was 8.2, as against 5.5 in 1907.

The 901 deaths registered in 1908 included 465 males and 436 females, the deaths of females being 29 less than those, of males. In 1907 the female deaths were 21 more than the male deaths. The death rate, in 1908 of males was 20.9, and that of females 17.3 per 1.000 living of the corresponding sex. In the preceding year, 1907, the death rate of males was 17.9, and that of females 15.0. The mean annual rate for the quinquennial period 1904-1908 was-males, 19.0; and females, 16.5. Evidently the fair sex have the pull of the other in the matter of life expectation.

The deaths in 1908 of children between five and fifteen years of age were 36 (15 males and 21 females), as against 34 (18 males and 16 females) in 1907. In 1908 the deaths under one year included 65 males and 61. females; total, 126. This mortality was in 1903, 144; 1904, 154; 1905, 139; 1906, 1.11; 1907, 107. The total deaths under 5 years in 1904 were 219; in 1905, 223; in 1906, 178; in 1907, 1,50 ; and in 1908, 182.

The registered deaths in 1908 of persons aged 65 and upwards were 308; of these, 148 were male and 160 female deaths. These deaths were 49 below the number registered in the preceding year, 1901. Of persons attaining the age of 85 and upwards, 32 deaths (14 males and 18 females) were registered in 1908. These deaths were 5 below the number registered in the preceding year, 1907.

The conditions of life in the country are evidently far more conducive to health than those which obtain in the towns The annual rate of mortality per thousand in the four towns of the Island for 1908 was 18.1, while the mean for 1904-1908 was 18.8. In the seventeen parishes (exclusive of the towns) the rate for 1908 was 14.5, while the mean for1901-1908 was 15.2. The deaths in the towns last year numbered 142 to every 100 deaths in the parishes.

CAUSES OF DEATH.

Very full information is afforded in the report as to the causes of death. It is satisfactory to find that only one death from that dread scourge, smallpox, has been recorded since 1878. The exception occurred in 1903. During 1908 the number of deaths from febrile diseases was much below the average.

To tuberculosis diseases, in the aggregate, 133 deaths were attributed in the year 1908 (82 males and 51 females). Deaths from these diseases amounted to 14.7 per cent. of the deaths from all causes, and were in the proportion of 2.4 to 1,000 living.

Tuberculosis Phthisis, commonly called consumption, was in 1908 assigned as the cause of death of 42 males and 28 females -in all 70; while phthisis (not otherwise defined) was certified in 34 cases (23 males and 11 females). The combined total of deaths from pulmonary tuberculosis and Phthisis (104) is more than that of 1907 by 9, snore than that of 1906 by 24, and than that of 1905 by 12, but less than that of 1904 by 33. Evidently the "white death " is still to be reckoned with in the Isle of Man, but it is comforting to note that phthisis is much less prevalent than it was some twenty years ago. All the same, legislation with a view to its suppression is urgently needed.

In 1908, no deaths were attributed to starvation, scurvy, opium, morphia-habit, poisoning by ptoanaines, and other food toxins, or to industrial poisoning; but six deaths were attributed to alcoholism. To the group of rheumatic and gouty diseases, five deaths were attributed in 1908, as compared with six in the previous year.

The total number of deaths from the group of malignant diseases, including, cancer, was 68 (31 males and 37 females), as compared with 59 in 1907, 65 in 1906, 72 in 1905, 58 in 1904, 62 in 1903, and 60 in 1902. Deaths from those diseases ammounted to 7.5 per cent. of the deaths from all causes, and were. in the proportion of 1.0 to a thousand persons living.

VACCINATIONS.

'rhea vaccinations as returned by the various registrars as having been successfully performed during the year 1908 reach the total of 925.

The return is satisfactory on the whole, and shows good work in recovering arrears in the hitherto badly vaccinated districts of Patrick; also Braddan and Marown, Arbory and Rushen. Michael, Patrick (Foxdale), Ballaugh, and Maughold; Andreas, Bride, and Jurby, are still responsible for considerable leeway, which must be accumulating.

THE YEAR'S WEATHER.

Mr Story acknowledges, in the course of his report, the courtesy of Mr A. W. Moore C.V.O.., F.R.M.S., in supplying him with the following observations on the meteorology of the year 1908:-

1908 has been rather a warm year, with, however, much less than the usual amount of sunshine. There has been less than the mean rainfall in the Douglas district, and at Ramsey and Bishopscourt, but more than the mean at Derbyhaven, Santon, and the Point of Ayre. This is very remarkable. The year has also been remarkable for the warmest October on record, and for nearly the coldest April on record. Except for a warm period at the end of June and beginning of July, the summer was, generally speaking, a cold one. The late autumn (October and November) was extraordinarily mild, and there was a cold "snap," accompanied by snow, at the end of December. The snow was not heavy, but, as a gale blew during its continuance, there were deep drifts.

The average shade temperature (Douglas and Point of Ayre, at mean sea level) at 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. was 49°44, being 0°74 above the mean; the average of the maximum and minimum (Douglas and Ramsey) was 49°77. The highest shade temperature was 80°4, on the 2nd of July, at Douglas, and 77°8, on the 12th of June, at Ramsey. The lowest shade temperature was 19°5 at Douglas, and 20°5 at Ramsey, both having been recorded on the 5th of January.

The mean daily range of temperature at Douglas was 9°76, and at Ramsey, 10°74. The result, considering that the latter station is nearer to the sea, is curious.

The lowest temperature. on the grass was 13°0, on the 24th of April.

A table attached to Mr Moore's summary gives the total hours of sunshine during the year at Douglas as 1,539.9, while the following particulars are given as to the year's rainfalls :-

A footnote to the summary is significant as to the rainfall registered at Ramsey .

The footnote is to the effect that a less rainfall than the mean at Ramsey during the year is partly explained by the gauge not being well exposed.

A table (XVI.) gives details of the birth and death rates per 1,000 for 1908 of the various towns and parishes as follows : -

Mr Story, by way of conclusion, adds a note as follows --

The birth and death rate of Douglas, calculated on the census population of 1901, is 25.1 and 20.0 respectively, while the rates of Onchan are 8.3 and 7.1. The population of the extended borough of Douglas is stated to be 21,285, and on this basis the birth rate is 22.6, and the death rate 18.1. The population of Onchan, outside the borough of Douglas, appears to be 1,812, and on this basis the birth and death rate id 17.9 and 15.2 respectively. The true death rate of Braddan was 5.5.