VITAL STATISTICS. It is needless to allude in detail to the various purposes to which reliable reports of the movements of the population of cities, districts, states and nations, in relation to births, marriages, and deaths are applicable, and for which they are in many instances not only helpful but absolutely indispensable. It has previously been remarked by the Secretary that no statistics are of more value in any age, or to any nation or government of whatever size or power, than those which relate to the bodily capacity of its citizens for labor and endurance, and the corresponding equal and associated mental capacity for enterprise and good judgment. The foundation of municipal, state, or national prosperity, is strength of body and strength of mind. These in turn are dependent on good health. "PUBLIC HEALTH is PUBLIC WEALTH," said Benjamin Franklin. Correct reports upon the registration of births, marriages and deaths in any community, are the disclosals of the advancement or decadence of the average health and bodily vigor of that people. It is the taking an account of stock, the ascertainment of the gain or loss in the most important investment, the status of the most important factor of public enterprise and prosperity. But vital statistics have come in modern times to subserve much more extended and equally important uses. When collected, classified, arranged and collated in tables, they become the basis of much scientific study. In addition to their original application relative to civil and national life, in affording evidence of legal consanguinity, the prevailing public spirit and the moral tone of the social relations and disposition for associated interest, as shown by the marriage statistics and legitimate birth-rates, they have also other very important industrial, corporate and sanitary relations. They furnish the data for determining the expectations of life at different ages, and are therefore the basis of life insurance, beneficial and annuity associations. They furnish to medical science information of the highest value in regard to the relations of disease to locality, climate, sex, season, race, and the variations of the public health from year to year under different topographical and meteorological conditions. Dr. William Farr, the eminent English philosopher and the highest authority on vital statistics, observes: "Deaths and causes of death. are scientific facts which admit of numerical analysis. Science has nothing more inviting to offer than a study of the influence of civilization, occupation, locality, seasons and other physical agencies, either in generating disease or producing death, or in improving the public health." REGISTRATION REPORTS. The thirty-seventh report upon the registration of births, marriages and deaths in R. I. for 1889, was prepared during the year and will be found appended to this report. It required the use of more than 1,500,000 figures in the preparation after the data were all in hand. There were some additional tables, and the text, explanatory remarks and observations, etc., were extended beyond those of previous years. An examination of the report will show that the various facts connected with the different events of birth, marriage and death are presented in a great variety of combinations and comparisons for the year 1889, and for different periods of previous years, and especially are such comparisons made in regard to deaths, including seasons, circumstances, sexes, social conditions, parentage, ages, occupations, causes, etc., and there are presented also the various relations, the different facts bear to each other in the same class of events and to various facts in each of the other classes of events. The thirty-eighth report upon the registration and return of births, marriages and deaths in Rhode Island in 1890 is now in preparation. The labors of collection, examination, arrangement, verification and ultimate correction of the returns, including much correspondence and frequent personal visitation, is, in but little measure appreciated by the average citizen. Added to this is the formidable work alluded to in the preceding paragraph. The patient plodding, the careful attention to details, the precise examination of numbers and exact mathematical processes, necessary to avoid erroneous results and fallacious conclusions, follow one as with flaming swords throughout the whole of the preparation of the report. Below will be found some of the general results of vital registration recorded during 1890. ..24.7 births in every 1,000. There was one birth to every 40.4 of the population, or. 20.1 deaths in every 1,000. The following summary will show the rates, per 1,000 of the population, of births, marriages and deaths, for ten years: Birth-rates... 1881. 1882. 1883. 1884. 1885. 1886. 1887. 1888. 1889. 1890. .24.4....24 7....24.4...23.9....23.1 .24.5....24.2....24.2....24.1....24.7 .18.1... 18.3....18.1. .17.1. 17.7....18.8.. .19.9... 20.4....19.0....20.1 Excess of Birth-rates over Death-rates... 6.3.... 6.4.... 6.3.... 6.8.... 5.4.... 5.7.... 4.2.... 3.8.... 5.1... 4.6 Marriage-rates........19.8....19.1.... 18.5....17 2....16.3...17.7....18.0...18.7....18.4....18.5 A comparative exhibit of the relative proportions of the births, marriages and deaths in the different counties and larger towns, during the last six years, may be found in the following summary: *Including all whose parents were born in the United States, whether of foreign parentage or of native. + Including the children of the foreign born. 1890 1889 1888 1887 1886 1885 1890 1889 1888 1887 1886 1885 1890 1889 1888 1887 1886 1885 Bristol Co.. 19.8 19.6 18.1 19.6 20.9 18.4 19.1 12.7 12.5 12.8 13.6 12.2 22.1 17.6 21.3 18.2 19.2 16.3 11.4 12.6 12.2 11.8 11.6 9.9 13.7 14.7 18.0 14.6 14.7 16.5 17.9 15.2 15.0 15.3 15.1 13.6 22.9 19.9 20.0 19.3 18.8 18.1 25.2 25.7 25.4 25.0 22.5 23.1 19.0 21.8 23.5 24.6 20.0 22.3 21.9 20.5 21.8 23.3 19.0 19.0 City of Prov. 25.9 24.9 21.4 24 3 24.7 24.8 21 3 21.4 21.6 21.0 20.8 18.5 21.7 19.7 21.0 21.6 19.6 18.3 Washington Co....... 16.1 18.3 16.1 20.4 20.3 18.8 17.1 14.9 18.7 16.6 15.9 15.1 13 5 14.6 16.0 15.5 15.0 14.1 Entire State. 24.7 24.1 24.3 24.2 24.5 23.1 18.5 18.4 18.7 18.0 17.7 16.3 20.1 19.0 20 4 19.9 18.8 17.7 The following will present the number, parentage and proportions of deaths from several diseases during 1890, which are recognized as having more or less prominence, from year to year. |