PREPARED UNDER DIRECTION OF THE SECRETARY OF THE COMMONWEALTH. BOSTON: Band, Avery, & Co., Printers to the Commonwealth, 117 FRANKLIN STREET, 1879. Commonwealth of Massachusetts. SECRETARY'S DEPARTMENT, BOSTON, Sept. 8, 1879. To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives. IN conformity with the requirements of the General Statutes, I have the honor to submit herewith the ThirtySeventh Annual Registration Report, relating to the Births, Marriages, and Deaths occurring in Massachusetts, and registered in the several cities and towns, during the year ending Dec. 31, 1878. By arrangements made last year, in order to secure the co-operation and assistance of the State Board of Health, the present Report has been edited by their Secretary, Dr. CHARLES F. FOLSOM, Lecturer on Hygiene and Mental Diseases in the Medical Department of Harvard University. In conformity with his suggestions, several improvements have been introduced, particularly in the addition of the new tables, XI. Classified Causes of Death for each of Twenty-two Years; and XII. - Table of Deaths in each town from certain Specified Causes during the year 1878. In Table XIV. the columns of "Ratios" will be discontinued until the occurrence of the next census, it being demonstrable that a computed population is not sufficiently accurate for the determination of the ratios of the intermediate years. A feature of interest is added to this |