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7
The births, deaths, and marriages in the City
during the year have been below the averages for
the last ten years. In the course of that time the
births have declined from an annual proportion of
3,412 to 3,046; the deaths from 3,105 to 2,726;
and the marriages from 1,733 to 1,540. These
numbers represent a falling off of 11 per cent, of
the births and marriages, and nearly 13 per cent,
of the deaths. If, therefore, the number of births,
deaths, and marriages in the City, has declined to
the extent of 11 per cent, in consequence of the
falling ofl" in the number of the resident population,
it is manifest that some other circumstance
has influenced the death-rate by reducing it an
additional 2 per cent. This is undoubtedly the
fruit of sanitary measures.
The influence of the seasons on the several rates
has been much the same as in the rest of England.
The number of marriages, for example, is largest
in the autumn quarter, and smallest in the winter.
The births are most numerous in the winter
months, and least so in the autumn. While the
death-rate is largest in winter and smallest in summer.
It might, however, have been expected that
there would have been a considerable variation in
these returns, from the circumstance that a very
large proportion of the City population migrates
into the country during summer and autumn, when