420 NATURAL AND CIVIL 



account of the births, but only of the baptisms ; 

 and therefore will not serve to discover what 

 proportion the deaths IJear to the births, in those 

 towns. But from the bills of mortality, which 

 have been kept in Massachusetts, it has been 

 found that the number of deaths, are annually in 

 a constant and settled ratio to the number of 

 births. At Hingham, the aged and venerable 

 Dr. Gay, kept a very exact list of all the deaths 

 and births 'in his parish, for ihf space of fifty 

 four years, froui 1726 to 1779, inclusive. The 

 deaths amounted to one thousand one hundred 

 and thirteen, the births to two thousand two 

 hundred and forty seven. '■ At Ipswich, the Rev. 

 Dr. Cutler, made similar observations for a 

 •course of ten years, from September 11, 1771, 

 to September 11, 1781. 'j'he number of deaths 

 were one hundred and sixty four, the number 

 of births three hundred and thirty one.* At 

 Saiem, an accurate and able pliysician and phi- 

 losopiier, E'. A. Holyoke, M. D. hos given an 

 exact bill ior the years 17S2 and 1783 : The 

 deaths were three hundred and sixty four, and 

 the births seven hundred and two.f in these 

 numbers wc have the result of a course of ob- 

 servations carried on in three different places, 

 during a period of sixt}- six years. The result 

 of the v»'hole, is, that the deaths were one thou- 

 sand six hundred and forty one, and the births 

 amounted to three thousand two hundred and 

 eighty ; that is, the deaths were to the births in 

 the ratio of one to two. This is the annual and 

 constant proportion of death to birth, in the an- 



• Memoirs of American Academy, Vol. I. p. jfii. 

 •f' Jbid. 543- 



