The paper gives a review of some aspects of Scottish mortality experienced in the two trienniums 1936–38 and 1947–49. After an initial consideration of crude and standardized death rates and age-group death rates, mortality rates analysed according to certain grouped causes of death are compared for the two periods of years and for the two sexes and commented upon.

Apart from the desirability of considering recent past experience in some detail an additional purpose of the paper is to make a preliminary investigation in connection with the suggestion recently put forward (J. G. Kyd, T.F.A. 21, page 46) that estimates of future Scottish mortality should be made by considering separately a number of causes of death. In the paper the opinion is arrived at that in general there would appear to be no insuperable difficulties in bringing the suggestion to fruition.