60 + REPORT OF THE GOVERNOR OF THE VIRGIN ISLANDS

Boards and Commissions
 The Board of Dental Examiners issued two licenses. The Board of
Medical Examiners issued 7 licenses as well as temporary licenses
to 16 physicians on the medical staff of the Government of the Virgin
Islands. The Board of Nurse-Midwife Examiners reported 21 li-
censed nurse-midwives in the Virgin Islands. The Nursing Scholar-
ship Advisory Board awarded nursing scholarships to 12 students in
the amount of $13,900 for 1961-62 school year. The Board of Nurses
Registration administered the National League Test Pool examina-
tion to 16 practical nurse students. Licenses were renewed during
the year for 83 registered nurses and 43 practical nurses. The Board
of Veterinary Medicine issued one license during the year.

Bureau of Vital Records and Statistical Services
 During 1961, 1,194 live births were recorded-an increase of 14 live
 births over the old record high of the previous year. The birth rate
 was 34.7 per 1,000 population. The figures by islands are as follows:
 St. Croix, 505 live births with a rate of 32.6; St. Thomas, 661 live
 births with a rate of 36.7, a record high for that island, the previous
 high being 628 with a rate of 36.2 in 1960; and St. John, 28 live births
 with a rate of 29.5 In St. Croix, 95.2 percent of all live births oc-
 curred in hospitals, in St. John, 71.4 percent, and in St. Thomas 99.2
 percent. The figure for the Virgin Islands is 96.9 percent.
 General Mortality.-There was a slight improvement in the mor-
 tality experience during 1961, there being 326 deaths with a rate of
 9.5 per 1,000 estimated population, against 333 deaths in 1960 with a
 death rate of 10.0. In St. Croix there were 164 deaths with a rate
 of 10.6. This was a decrease in rate from 1960 when the deaths were
 also 164, but the rate was 10.9. In St. John there were 10 deaths
 and a rate of 10.5 in 1961, compared to two deaths with a rate of 2.2
 in 1960. There were 152 deaths in St. Thomas with a rate of 8.4,
 a marked improvement over 1960 when there were 167 deaths with a
 rate of 9.6.
 Of deaths in the Virgin Islands 18 were nonresidents-7 deaths oc-
 curring in St. Croix and 11 in St. Thomas. Of the nonresident deaths
 one occurred at sea in a ship's hospital, but was registered in St.
 Thomas as the first port of call following the death.
 For the Virgin Islands 50.0 percent of all deaths were of persons
 65 years and over. Figures for St. Thomas and St. 'Croix were 42.0
 percent and 57.9 percent, respectively.
 The age distribution by percentage of total and the leading causes
 of death follow: