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MORA I, CONDITIONS,
161
For every thousand unmarried women and widows of 20—45 years, the
numbers of mothers delivered of illegitimate children is as follows:
Sweden 1751—1910:
1751—75 .......ll’T
1776—00 ....... 17 0
1801—25 ....... 28-3
1826-50 ....... 32-2
1851—75 ....... 37’4
1876-00 ....... 37-4
1901-10.......411
European countries
IS 91—1900:
Netherlands......13’8
Switzerland......16’0
England.......16’2
Scotland.......25’1
Norway........28’2
France........31’R
Finland........328
Belgium.......33 9
Sweden........37 8
Denmark.......40’1
Italy 1........41-6
German Empire .... 50 8
Western Austria. . . .710
Western Europe . . . . 36 9
Northwestern Europe . 37’8
1 Illegitimate children and foundlings.
The first column of this table shows that a most marked deterioration took
place in the country during the period 1776 — 1825, i. e. during the time that
was also characterized by the greatest increase in the abuse of alcohol. During
recent decades, changes have not been so great with respect to the number of
illegitimate births, even though deterioration has advanced on the whole.
In comparison with other countries, we find that the figures for Sweden
for 1891—1900 are in agreement with those of N W Europe, while they are
slightly higher than the corresponding figures for \Y Europe on the whole.
The principal reason for the comparatively large number of illegitimate births
in Sweden is, naturally, the above-mentioned decline in marriage-frequency, which
has resulted in the percentage of married people now being lower than in most
other countries in our continent.
Of the other data which serve to illustrate the moral condition of
Sweden, we may here indicate the frequency of divorce, the extent of
prostitution, the prevalence of venereal diseases, and cases of stillborn
children, the difference in the death-rates between married and unmarried
persons and between men and women, and, finally, the suicides.
The yearly total of divorces, per million of the population, for the decades
1831—40 to 1901 — 10, in the order given, amounted to: 35% 32’i, 33"0,
31’», 43"9, 50’2, 69"0 and 88"9. The most recent periods thus show a considerable
deterioration, but still this does not prevent Sweden’s position in this respect
from continuing to be a more favourable one than that of most of the other
countries in Europe.
Regulated prostitution is found only in the cities of Stockholm and
Gothenburg. At the close of the year 1865, the number of prostitutes in Stockholm
was 230 per hundred thousand inh., whereas in 1910 it was only 75. For
Gothenburg, the corresponding figures for the years 1887 and 1910, were 102
and 54 respectively.
The occurrence of venereal diseases, according to the investigations of J.
Kjellberg, J. E. Johansson and others, seems to be on the decline (at least, as
far as can be judged from the number of cases treated in the public hospitals);
this is true not least in respect to syphilis. During the years 1861—65, there
were annually admitted to the lock hospitals 118 cases per hundred thousand
inh.; in the years 1901—05, on the contrary, only 65. During the former
period, 10’5 %„ of the patients admitted died, while during the latter period,
only 2’7 °/oo died.
Respecting the frequency of still-births, which is considered by medical
authorities to be very illustrative of the question of the greater or lesser
11—133179. Sweden. 1.
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