OFFICE OF THE

BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS,

STATE HOUSE, HARTFORD, DEC. 31, 1882.

Lo his excellency, H. B. BIGELOW,

Governor of the State of Connecticut:

SIR: In accordance with the laws of this State, I have the honor to submit the Annual Registration Report relating to Births, Marriages, Deaths, and Divorces which occurred in the State of Connecticut during the year 1881.

Your very obedient servant,

· C. W. CHAMBERLAIN, M.D.,

Superintendent of Registration of Vital Statistics.

State Board of Health

AND

BUREAU OF VITAL STATISTICS.

DR. JOHN S. BUTLER, Hartford, PRESIDENT.

PROF. C. A. LINDSLEY, M.D., New Haven.

PROF. W. H. BREWER, New Haven.

HON. A. E. BURR, Hartford,

HON. A. C. LIPPIT, New London.

DR. G. H. WILSON, Meriden.

DR. C. W. CHAMBERLAIN, Hartford, SECRETARY,

AND SUPERINTENDENT OF REGISTRATION OF VITAL STATISTICS.

REGISTRATION REPORT.

1881.

The report of the vital statistics. of the State for the year presents many interesting features, and in connection with those of the last few years reveals indications of periodic, movements in disease which will well repay study. In point of fact our knowl. edge of epidemics is very limited, especially with reference to the inducing causes of such wide-spread effects and influences, and their laws of periodicity, so that with regard to epidemics the guilty agencies that originate them are as a rule not well understood. The indications are, however, quite strongly in favor of the idea that many of the diseases that commonly occur more or less each year, are marked by periodic influences at intervals of varying length, as well as the recognized epidemics and pandemics that appear only at intervals and sweep over vast areas.

A few typographical errors have occurred; in fact, in such complicated tables it is almost impossible to prevent one now and then. They are, however, comparatively unimportant this year but one instance of transposition which is the most annoying.

Some improvement in the returns of occupations followed from the publication of the table; as was anticipated. When no use was made of them, there was no inducement for painstaking; there is however still room for improvement, and the attention of physicians is invited to their duty in this regard. A table showing the aggregate for ten years is in course of preparation, but cannot be in readiness this year. As no tables have been made for any of these years, the whole ground must be canvassed. There are several other comparative tables that have been planned and only await time and opportunity to complete. As all this has to be done with little clerical assistance, except to verify results, the need of time is apparent.

The mortality shows an increase over that recorded last year of

499, the year ranking here, as elsewhere, as upon the whole not characterized by conditions favorable to health. The protracted heated term, long-continued dry weather, and unseasonable warm weather, intensified unsanitary conditions that otherwise might have remained quiescent. The returns are completer than they have been in preceding years, and as physicians generally are now supplied with these reports, and the glaring evils of incomplete and inaccurate returns are brought to their notice, a greater improvement may be hoped for, in the future. The greatest difficulty now is to secure proper returns for small towns near cities, and villages where the larger amount of the practice is in the hands of non-resident physicians. The tables show how very inaccurate such returns are. Thus, in West Hartford, a town of nearly two thousand inhabitants, but 8 deaths are returned, the death rate from the records 4.4 per thousand, while the average of the county is 18 9. Stratford a death-rate of 5.1; that of the county 17.1; other instances could be cited. As a rule these very low rates indicate imperfect returns from some such cause. These returns however are slowly lessening each year, so that they are now almost entirely restricted to the towns indicated where nonresident physicians make no returns.

There have been no extensive epidemics to increase the mortality, nor any great accidents or calamities. The increase is mainly confined to diarrheal and enteric diseases, and those favored by debilitating and depressing influences, especially among children; the deaths of those not over five years comprising 30 per cent. of the total mortality; this increase is one and a half per cent. less than last year however. Lung fever has been very prevalent for the last two years, and deaths from nervous diseases and insanity have increased largely.

There were recorded in 1881, 14,616 births, 4,850 marriages, 10,907 deaths; 787 more births than in 1880, 105 more marriages and 499 more deaths. There were 404 divorces recorded, 72 more than in 1880, which gives a ratio of one divorce to every 12 marriages. There is as yet no very good reason for not attributing the decrease to the repeal of the omnibus clause to some extent. Even with the increased number of divorces, the ratio of marriages to divorces is still favorable to a gain by the repeal of that provision. The last legislature indicated no disposition to restore it, and it is to be hoped that changes will be

made in the direction of more stringency in the divorce laws, if any are to be made. It has been stated that a part at least of the increase is more apparent than real, and due to the clearing up of old cases that had been some time on the docket.

The excess of births over deaths is 3,709, which is 288 more than last year, an improvement also over the figures of 1880, which were very much less than the preceding year.

The returns

of births are not as complete however, as those of deaths. By the efforts of some of the registrars, considerable improvement has been made over previous years' returns, so that in several instances where the returns at first indicated an excess of deaths over births, in several places by a little effort in neglected quarters something like accuracy was secured. Probably in the cities and larger towns from 20 to 25 per cent. of the births are unrecorded. The population as finally revised by the census bureau is 622,700, which gives

Daily average of births, male 20.9, female 19.5, total 40.4

There has been a steady increase in the death-rate for the last few years, due to the same influences that have been felt all around us, and manifested in a similar manner in adjoining States, but the increase this year is one per cent. less than last. In 1880 it was 1.7%, this year, 1881, it is but seven-tenths of one per cent. The increase in births and marriages is an indication of returning prosperity, as the decrease in marriages especially was marked during the period of depression in business.

The following table gives a summary of the vital statistics of the State, from 1848, the date of the first registration report, up to the present time. The birth and death-rates are calculated by adding the proportional increment to each years' population, as the census every ten years is the only resource, no State census having yet been taken.