304 



DR MATTHEWS DUNCAN ON THE 



In order to derive from Table IX. more information as to the relative 

 numerical value of the fertility of a mass of wives in the fifth, tenth, and fifteenth 

 years of married life, and so on, I have framed the following Table (XV.) 1 

 have freely pointed out the sources of error in the fundamental figures of Table 

 IX. ; and after all I flatter myself that in these fundamental figures there is 

 an approach to truth such as to justify the further deduction of Table XV. 



wives mothers at the respective epochs is the actual registered number in Edinburgh and Glasgow 

 in 1855. The number of wives of different ages is got by estimating, and the Carlisle Table of 

 Mortality is used. The estimate is not made in the exactest way, but the errors will not injure the 

 comparison of the figures with one another, as the same (perhaps unavoidable) error is introduced 

 into all. The results probably give a near approach to the true degrees of fertility ; for while 

 among the child-bearing there are some omitted, there are probably fewer marriages omitted, and 

 the numbers of wives as estimated would be too large were not a very high percentage taken off 

 (1 in 100) for the special mortality of first confinements. (See Edinburgh Medical and Surgical 

 Journal for October 1865, and Dr Stark's Report in the Seventh Annual Report of the Registrar- 

 General for Scotland, p. xxxii.) 



To find how many women, 5, 10, and 15 years married, are alive and not widowed in 1855, 

 it would strictly be necessary to have the numbers married in 1850, 1845, and 1840, from which 

 the estimates should be made. Instead of doing this, I have estimated from the number married 

 in 1855. As the population is increasing not greatly, this error thus introduced will not be 

 great. 



It is partly with a view to correct this error that I have taken off an extravagantly high per- 

 centage for the mortality of first labours. 



In making the estimate I have doubled the mortality, in order to exclude the widowed. 



TABLE X. — Fertility of Wives in the Fifth Year of Married Life. 



Ages at Child-bearing, .... 



20-24 



25-29 



30-34 



35-39 



m 



40-44 Total. | 





644 



1686 



1008 



358 



179 



3875 



Number of Wives Mothers, . 



247 



611 



244 



72 



17 



1191 



Number Child-bearing, 1 in . 



2-6 



2-7 



4-1 



4-9 



105 



3-2 



TABLE XI. — Fertility of Wives in the Tenth Year of Married Life. 



Ages at Child-bearing, 



Number of Wives, . . 

 Number of Wives Mothers, 

 Number Child-bearing, 1 in 



25-29 



30 34 



35-39 



40-44 



Total. 



594 



1528 



902 



313 



3337 



186 



381 



153 



36 



756 



32 



4-0 



59 



8-7 



4-4 



TABLE XII. — Fertility of Wives in the Fifteenth Year of Married Lifr. 



Ages at Child-bearing, .... 



30-34 



35-39 



40-44 



45-49 



Total. 





532 



1360 



782 



262 



2936 



Number of Wives Mothers, . . . 



116 



200 



43 



7 



366 



Number Child-bearing, 1 in . . 



4-6 



6-8 



182 



37-4 



80 



