OBSERVATIONS UPON SOME OF THE CAUSES OF DEATH IN NEW HAMPSHIRE. Without vital statistics it would be impossible to intelligently adopt and put into efficient execution measures for the restriction and prevention of disease, because there would be no basis of determining the necessity of action or for measuring its results. Fortunately, through the untiring efforts of several years, we have, in New Hampshire, arrived at a period of accuracy and completeness in the registration of deaths, second, probably, to that of no state in the Union, and which is of great value and importance to the state from more than one stand-point. In the following pages, only a brief summary of some of the causes of death is given. Persons desiring to study more extensively the registration statistics-births, marriages, and deaths-are referred to the registration report, a copy of which may be obtained by application to the department of vital statistics. The total number of deaths returned to the registrar of vital statistics for the year ending December 31, 1892, was 7,988. This is six hundred and seventy-eight more than was returned for the year 1891, and eleven hundred and fiftythree more than the average for the past nine years. This excess over the average for the years stated is not due wholly to an actual increase in death-rate, but to a more complete registration than existed during the earlier years of the period embraced in the comparison. Still it is true that the death-rate has increased,—due chiefly, it would seem, to epidemic influenza. The progressive march of this disease is indicated by the deaths attributed directly to it, as follows: Deaths from epidemic influenza (la grippe) 1889, 4. That this malady is responsible for an increased deathrate from other diseases, there is no doubt. Pneumonia was increased from 673 deaths in 1891 to 890 in 1892. Other indications pointing to this conclusion may be seen by a careful examination of the tables presented: TABLE No. 1. Deaths and Death-rates from 1884 to 1892, inclusive. Table No. 1 gives the number of deaths returned for each year from 1884 to 1892, inclusive, with percentage to each 1,000 of the estimated population. It will be seen by this table that the death-rate per 1,000 of the population for the year 1892, is 20.88, the highest recorded during the period embraced in the table. This rate is somewhat in excess of what we believe should be maintained in this state. TABLE No. 2. Deaths and Death-rates, by Counties, from 1884 to 1892, inclusive. Deaths. Death-rates. Deaths. Death-rates. Rockingham 873 17.69 911 18.43 963 19.46 876 17.67 896 18.05 875 17.61 1,065 21.45 991 19.95 1,026 20.66 736 15.48 269 14.80 303 16.68 294 16.20 673 17.91 688 18.17 389 19.40 374 18.40 392 19.29 440 21.65 21.52 1,973 21.14 1,957 20.98 2,092 22.43 525 17.72 557 18.49 482 16.29 608 20.55 382 21.49 749 20.01 Total.. 6,194 17.26 6,201 17.13 6,426 17.61 6,479 17.61 6,854 18.48 6,696 17.91 7,368 19.56 7,310 19.41 7,988 21.21 Table No. 2 shows the number of deaths and the deathrate per 1,000 of the population, census figures. The percentages being based upon the census returns, cannot, of course, be absolutely correct excepting for the year 1890; therefore the total percentage for 1892 is in this table too high. The figures given in table No. 1 (20.88 per 1,000) are more nearly correct. The highest death-rate in any county for the year 1892, is in Strafford-22.47, followed by Hillsborough 22.43, Belknap 21.65, Merrimack 21.52, Sullivan 21.49, Rockingham 20.66, Cheshire 20.55, Grafton 20.01, Carroll 18.87, Coos 18.13. TABLE No. 3. Percentage of Deaths, by Quarters, from 1884 to 1892 inclusive.* * Not including deaths with month not stated, premature and still births. Table No. 3 shows the percentages by quarters, from 1884 to 1892, inclusive. The variation in the percentages for 1892 from those given for the previous year is very |