1866.] 



CARPENTER — ON VITAL STATISTICS. 



147 



"We are now in a position to judge of the statistics recorded 

 under sections A & B. The following table exhibits these in com- 

 parison with the totals from the cemeteries. It appears that 

 during the eleven years no fewer than 2,134 deaths have escaped 

 registration by the clergy ; being never less than 76 in a year; on 

 the average 194; and, in the deadly year, actually 395. The 

 average equals 6 per cent of the total deaths ; or 22 unrecorded 

 deaths to every 10,000 living. 



In the case of the census returns, the deficiency is still more 

 startling; no fewer than 36 per cent of the total deaths having es- 

 caped recording. 



8. Comparison of 3 returns of Deaths in Montreal, 

 1855-1865. 



Mortality of 1861. — Cemetery 35.2 per 1000 living. 



Protonotary 33.2 " 



Census 22. 5 " 



Not registered by the clergy. . . 2.0 " 

 Not recorded in census 12.7 " 



These facts are surely sufficient to convince the most sceptical 

 of the importance of a compulsory civil registration of births and 

 deaths. In addition to the usual details, it is very necessary to 

 provide that no death be registered without the production of a 

 medical certificate, declaring the remote as well as the proximate 

 cause of death. There should be heavy penalties for any inter- 

 ment without previous registration. 



The next step in our analysis leads to very important results : 

 it is, to distribute the total deaths for each year under the months 

 in which they occur. This is done in table 9 for all ages ; in 

 table 10, for children under 12 ; and in table 1 1 , for children above 

 12 and adults. The numbers which include five weeks instead of 

 four are distinguished by large-faced figures. The totals for each 

 year are added at the bottom; for the same month in the twelve 

 years, in the last column. 



