those in question, if the rule were fully carried out that “the
population enumerated must always be precisely that which produces the
deaths registered;” the grand desideratum being, as expressed by Mr.
Milne, for insurance purposes, “to determine the number of annual deaths
at each age which takes place among the living at the same age;”[43] but
the facts cited of the greater proportion of adults, and of health in
those adults who are immigrant, will answer the objections to the
superior applicability to local or class insurance tables, deduced from
actual local observation of the local rate of mortality prevalent
amongst that population, whether migrant or stationary, and without
reference to the actual ages of the living (though that were desirable),
compared with deductions from any general insurance table, _i. e._ the
experience of a distant and wholly unconnected population. Deductions
from tables, however correctly made from the experience of other towns,
must he, and are proved, by such experience as that hereafter cited, to
be merely “guess-work.” Vide ‘General Sanitary Report,’ pp. 218, 219.
For myself, I make it a general rule of precaution neither to receive
nor adduce statistical returns as evidence without previous inquiry,
wherever it is possible, into the particulars on which they are founded,
or with which they are connected. I adduce them less as principal
evidence, proving anything by themselves, than as proximate measures, or
as indications of the extent of the operation of causes substantiated by
distinct investigations. The general conclusions which the facts that
have come to my knowledge tend to establish on the subject of the
experience of mortality are, that there is no general law of mortality
yet established that is applicable to all countries or to all classes,
or to all times, as commonly assumed; that every place, and class, and
period has rather its own circumstances and its own law, varying with
those circumstances; that the actual experience of any class or place,
or period, even with the disturbance of any ordinary amount of
migration, or immigration, or any ordinary influx of young lives from
births, is a safer guide than any experience deduced from the experience
of another people living at another time and place, or any assumed
general law.
For many public purposes, I have submitted it as a desideratum that
population returns should give not merely the _numbers_ of each class,
or of those engaged in each distinct occupation, which only enables us
to resort to the fallacious standard of the proportionate numbers of
deaths, to judge of the mortality incidental to the class, but the total
ages of each class, which would serve as an index of alterations in the
sanitary condition of that same class. Such returns of the total ages
should, for the public use, be reduced to their simplest proportions. In
the form in which they are usually given, only in intervals of
quinquennial or decennial periods, they are extremely meagre, and
involve so much inaccuracy in any attempts that might be made to use
them, for the purpose of comparing district with district, as to be
generally useless. Whereas, if the ages of any class, or of the general
population living in any district, and the ages of those of them who
die, were reduced to the simplest proportions—that is, if the total
years of age, whether of the living or dying, were divided by the total
number of individuals from which the returns were made, the public would
be enabled to make comparisons between district and district, and to
judge of the relative degrees of pressure, in each, of the causes of
mortality. As the simple proportions of average ages of the living have
not yet, that I am aware of, been used, or even calculated in any
instance, I beg leave to exemplify them.
Mr. Griffith Davies is theoretically of opinion, on a formula of De
Moivre, that in general the average age of death in any community is
necessarily higher than the average age of those living in the same
community: and that in a stationary population the average age of death
will, under ordinary circumstances, be in the ratio of 3 to 2 higher
than the average age of the living. I have had the average age of the
living population, on which the experience embodied in the Carlisle
Insurance table was founded, calculated: and if that may be considered
to have been a stationary population, the proportion of the ages of the
living to those of the dying was practically as about 3 to 4: for whilst
the average age of the dying was 38–3/10, the average age of the living
population was 32–9/10. The average age of the dying in Hereford, in
which the increase of population had been very slight, was 39. But the
average age of the living population, so far as it can be made out from
quinquennial returns, was 28 years and 5 months. On this and all returns
of the ages of the living, in the mode in which the returns have been
collected, allowance must be made for understatements of ages by some of
the adult members of the community. On the whole, the proportion of the
ages of the living to the dying appears to be in an ordinarily healthy
and stationary community, as about 3 to 4.
As yet the observations have not been on a sufficiently wide basis; but
it appears that wherever there is any divergence between the average
ages of the living and the average ages of the dying, the divergence
beyond their natural proportions may be taken as indicating the
proportionate operation of some disturbing cause upon either line, as by
some extraordinary increase of births, or by immigration or emigration,
on the average ages of the living, and on the line of the average ages
of the dead.
So far as I have been enabled to observe or collect from the extremely
imperfect data at present available to the public service, the line of
the average ages of the living is comparatively steady; the disturbances
by migration and immigration which often compensate each other, for the
same place and period, being much the same at different periods, and
seldom affect the results materially, whilst the variations in the
pressure of the causes of death from year to year, are usually
considerable, and warrant the assumption that in general the
disturbances occasioning the divergence described, are from the
operations of causes of death upon that line. Wherever the pressure of
the causes of death has yet been observed to be very great, there the
line of mortality, or the average age of death, is below, what may be
called, the line of vitality constituted by the average age of the
living; and wherever there is on the whole any diminution of those
causes of death, as by better ventilation, or by widening streets,
opening new thoroughfares, better supplies of water, sewering and
cleansing, and improvements in the general habits of the population,
there the line of mortality, the infantile mortality especially,
diminishes, the average age of each adult class, up to sexagenarians or
octogenarians, increases, and the average age of death ascends above the
average age of the living. The means of observation are as yet too few
to elicit more than indications for the guidance of sustained
investigation, to determine whether the divergence of the two lines may
be reduced to any rule.
In Liverpool,—where the investigations into the condition of the
resident cellar population certainly show an increase of the causes of
death,—overcrowding, defective ventilation, bad supplies of water, and
increased filth,—the average age of death is, for the whole town, 17 or
18 years only, whilst the average age of the living population, so far
as it can be made out from the mode in which the census is prepared, is
24 years. As far as can be ascertained by reference to previous
registries of one large parish, where the ages of the dead were formerly
entered, the average duration of life in that town has gradually fallen.
The average ages of all who were buried in St. Nicholas parish between
the years 1784 and 1809 was 25.
In Manchester, the average age of the living is 25 years, but the
average age of the dying is only 18. In Leeds, the average age of the
living is also 25 years, but the average age of the dying is only 21.
Years. Months.
The average age of all who _live_ in the town parishes
of Middlesex, so far as they can be made out from the 26 2
only available materials,—the returns in quinquennial
periods,—is only
But the average age of all who _die_, judging from one 27 0
year’s return, appears to be about
If, however, we allow for the understatement of ages, the two lines for
the whole metropolis would be nearly coincident. On the experience of
Carlisle and Hereford, the average age of death should be twelve years
higher.
Arranging the several districts of the metropolis, in the order of the
average age of deaths, we find the average age of the living decrease
with the average age of the dying; and the proportion of births to the
population increase with the decrease of the average age of death. The
excess in the proportionate number of births beyond the proportions in
such a county as Hereford (1 to 44), where the average age of death is
much higher, and proportionate number of deaths to the population,
afford important indicia.
──────────────────┬────────┬─────────┬───────┬───────┬─────────────────
│Average │ Average │Propor-│Propor-│
Districts in which│ Age of │ Age of │ tions │ tions │ Excess above
average Age of │Death in│ all who │ of │ of │ County of
Death of the whole│the Dis-│ live in │Births │Deaths │ Hereford in the
Population is │ trict, │the Dis- │to the │to the │ Number of:
│ of all │ trict. │ Popu- │ Popu- │
│Classes.│ │lation.│lation.│
──────────────────┼────────┼─────────┼───────┼───────┼─────────┬───────
│ │ │ │ │ Deaths │
│ │ │ │ │ and │Births.
│ │ │ │ │Funerals.│
──────────────────┼────────┼─────────┼───────┼───────┼─────────┼───────
│ Years. │yrs. mon.│ │ │ │
Highest │ │ │ │ │ │
(Comprising 2 │ │ │ │ │ │
Districts.) │ 35│ 27 11│1 to 41│1 to 42│ 966│ 145
Population │ │ │ │ │ │
120,678. │ │ │ │ │ │
1. Intermediate (6│ │ │ │ │ │
Districts.) │ 30│ 27 5│1 to 39│1 to 46│ 1,836│ 639
Population │ │ │ │ │ │
311,022. │ │ │ │ │ │
2. Intermediate │ │ │ │ │ │
(12 Districts.) │ 27│ 26 11│1 to 33│1 to 40│ 7,457│ 5,718
Population │ │ │ │ │ │
774,937. │ │ │ │ │ │
Lowest (12 │ │ │ │ │ │
Districts.) │ 23│ 26 5│1 to 30│1 to 41│ 5,705│ 6,822
Population │ │ │ │ │ │
663,290. │ │ │ │ │ │
──────────────────┴────────┴─────────┴───────┴───────┴─────────┴───────
It will be observed that in the least healthy districts where the
pressure of the causes of mortality is the most extensive, the average
age of death falls nearly three years and a half _below_ the average age
of the living, whilst in the higher districts the line of mortality
rises towards the natural position, or nearly four years above it. But
it must still be borne in mind, in the inspection of the returns from
the highest district, that the average is made up of districts which are
probably retrograding, connected with others which are advancing,—of
districts such as are developed by Mr. Worrell, registrar, in his note
on one of the returns from St. Pancras, comprising streets, the
connected courts and alleys from which are widely as separate and
distinct in condition,—and, if I may use such an illustration, as little
appropriate for any average that could be represented by numerals—as
were the conditions of Lazarus and Dives.
Even the lowest proportion of deaths to the population presented in the
district returns, that of Hackney, where it is only 1 to 56. appears to
be a proportion in excess by nearly one-eighth, _i. e._ the deaths from
epidemics, as well as the excess of more than one-third in the deaths of
children under 10 years of age. The return, from the healthiest district
in the returns, of the average age of deaths gives an average of 7
years’ loss of life for the whole population; whilst for the _adults_ of
the middle classes it gives 10 years, and for the _adults_ of the
working classes 7 years’ premature loss of life. Even in the county of
Hereford where there is a proportion of deaths of 1 to 64 of the
population, and the standard of the Carlisle table of insurance where an
average age of 39 years of death is attained, it will be observed that
even this average includes a large proportion (542), or nearly 1-third
in the number of deaths under 10 years of age, and 123 or 1–14th deaths
from epidemics, besides others involving deaths from preventible causes.
Only 329, or 1 in 5 of the deaths in this very healthy county, were
deaths registered as from old age. By the removal of this excess of
deaths, the excess of births which replace them would even in these
districts be of course still further diminished.
It may be conjectured that if there were the means of distinguishing
accurately the various classes of the living amongst whom these deaths
fall, the irregularity of the proportionate number of deaths which
probably arise amongst the labouring classes would be accounted for. The
present returns of the number of births do not distinguish the classes
amongst whom the births occur. Taking the districts in the order of the
average age in which deaths occur to the labouring classes, and
comparing the proportions of the deaths and funerals with the
proportions which occur in Hereford, the excess of deaths and funerals
was in 1839 as follows:—
┌──────────────────────────────┬───────────┬──────────────────────────┐
│ │Average Age│Excess in Number of Deaths│
│Districts in which average Age│of Death of│ of Artisans, &c., in the │
│of Death of Artisans, &c., is │ Artisans, │District above the Deaths │
│ │&c. in the │of Agricultural Labourers │
│ │Districts. │ in Herefordshire. │
├──────────────────────────────┼───────────┼──────────────────────────┤
│1. Highest number of the class│ 38│ 483│
│ (comprising 2 Districts.) │ │ │
│2. Intermediate (1) number of │ 27│ 548│
│ the class (5 Districts.) │ │ │
│3. Intermediate (2) number of │ 23│ 1,773│
│ the class (10 Districts.) │ │ │
│4. Lowest number of the class │ 20│ 4,121│
│ (15 Districts.) │ │ │
└──────────────────────────────┴───────────┴──────────────────────────┘
The totals of the subjoined district returns for the metropolis are as
follows:—
┌──────────────┬──────────────────────────┬────────┬────────┬─────────┐
│ │ │ Number │Average │ Average │
│ │ │ of │ age at │ age at │
│ │ Number of deaths of each │ deaths │death of│death of │
│ │ class. │ from │all who │the whole│
│ │ │Epidemic│ die │ class, │
│ │ │disease.│ above │including│
│ │ │ │ 21. │children.│
├──────────────┼────────┬────────┬────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│ │ │Children│ │ │ │ │
│ │Adults. │under 10│ Total. │ │ │ │
│ │ │ years. │ │ │ │ │
├──────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│Gentlemen │ 1724│ 529│ 2253│ 210│ 60│ 44│
│Tradesmen │ 3970│ 3703│ 7682│ 1428│ 51│ 25│
│Labourers │ 12045│ 13885│ 25930│ 5469│ 49│ 22│
│Paupers │ 3062│ 593│ 3655│ 557│ 60│ 49│
│Undescribed │ 2996│ 2761│ 5757│ 1051│ 56│ 28│
├──────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│ Totals │ 23806│ 21471│ 45277│ 8715│ 53│ 27│
└──────────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴─────────┘
The following totals of the mortuary registration of the several
registrars’ districts in Hereford for the same year are given for
comparison:—
┌──────────────┬──────────────────────────┬────────┬────────┬─────────┐
│ │ │ Number │Average │ Average │
│ │ │ of │ age at │ age at │
│ │ Number of deaths of each │ deaths │death of│death of │
│ │ class. │ from │all who │the whole│
│ │ │Epidemic│ die │ class, │
│ │ │disease.│ above │including│
│ │ │ │ 21. │children.│
├──────────────┼────────┬────────┬────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│ │ │Children│ │ │ │ │
│ │Adults. │under 10│ Total. │ │ │ │
│ │ │ years. │ │ │ │ │
├──────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│Gentlemen │ 49│ 19│ 68│ 2│ 65│ 45│
│Farmers, &c. │ 205│ 45│ 250│ 14│ 60│ 47│
│Labourers │ 833│ 324│ 1157│ 87│ 58│ 39│
│Paupers │ 26│ 11│ 37│ 1│ 71│ 51│
│Undescribed │ 124│ 143│ 267│ 19│ 68│ 30│
├──────────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼────────┼─────────┤
│ Totals │ 1237│ 512│ 1779│ 123│ 60│ 39│
└──────────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┴─────────┘
The total number of births registered in the several districts in the
metropolis, where it is yet far from complete, in the year 1839, was
51,232, or 1 to 37 of the population. The total number of births
registered in Hereford during the same year was 2579, or 1 to 44.
The positions advanced in the Sanitary Report of the greater proportion
of births in the districts where the deaths are the most frequent, is
confirmed in respect to the metropolis by a more recent return with
which I have been obligingly favoured by the Registrar-General, in which
he shows,—
┌──────────────────────────────┬─────────────────────────┬────────────┐
│ │ │ Ratio of │
│ │ Proportion per cent. │ deaths to │
│ │ │ births. │
├──────────────────────────────┼────────────┬────────────┼────────────┤
│ │ Deaths. │ Births. │ │
├──────────────────────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┤
│“Unhealthiest sub-districts │ 3·14│ 3·66│ 1 to 1·17│
│Less unhealthy sub-districts │ 2·68│ 3·18│ 1 to 1·19│
│Average sub-districts │ 2·43│ 3·35│ 1 to 1·38│
│Healthier sub-districts │ 2·17│ 2·64│ 1 to 1·22│
│Healthiest sub-districts” │ 1·87│ 2·47│ 1 to 1·32│
├──────────────────────────────┴────────────┴────────────┴────────────┤
│“The mortality is 68 per cent. higher in the unhealthy than in the │
│healthy sub-districts: the proportion of births is 48 per cent. │
│greater in the unhealthy than in the healthy sub-districts.” │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
If the deaths in the metropolis during 1839 had been in the same
proportion to the population as they were in Hereford, there would have
been 8866 funerals less during that year.
If the proportion of births in the metropolis during that year had been
the same as in Hereford, there would have been 16,053 births the less.
Or to vary the illustration:—
If the deaths in Hereford had been in the same proportion as the deaths
in the metropolis, the community in that county would during that year
have had 977 funerals the more.
If the births in Hereford had been in the same proportion as in the
metropolis, there would during that year have been 540 births the more.
If the deaths in the whole of England and Wales had been in the
proportions attained in some districts, and attainable in all, namely, 1
in 50, there would during the year have been 31,866 funerals less, and
more than ten times that amount of cases of sickness the less.
If the proportions of births in the whole kingdom had been the same as
those occurring in average healthy districts—such as that of the town
district of Hackney, for example, of 1 to 42—there would have been
139,958 births the less to make up for the excess of deaths.
* * * * *
The importance of the subject will justify the reference to other
examples.
The commissioners for taking the census of Ireland have bestowed
considerable labour to effect various improvements, with a view to
determine more accurately the actual condition and progress of the
population. They have attempted, amongst other improvements, to
ascertain not merely the total number of houses, but the number of each
description of houses in each district. From the want of any system of
mortuary or birth registration in Ireland their attempts to ascertain
correctly the proportions of deaths and births to the population appear
to have been to some degree frustrated; and the return of the average
age of death must be received as an approximation, giving higher than
the real chances of life in that country. From the mode which the
commissioners adopted of collecting the ages of the living, by taking
the actual age of each individual with precautions, it appears probable
that their returns on this head are more trustworthy than those obtained
in England.
The proportions of births to the population obtained by the Census
Commissioners in Ireland are, I conceive, below the real amount; the
proportions of deaths are confessedly so. The proportions of deaths and
several other results may however serve for comparison between one
province and another and between one county and another. I have taken
the following results from several of their tables, or have had them
calculated from their data. I submit them as indications of the
momentous public truths that still lie open for investigation, of which
truths the most important are the extent of the operation of the causes
of mortality, which can only be correctly ascertained on the spot by
inquiries for a mortuary registration, by responsible officers of
superior qualifications and intelligence as officers of health. The
fractional numbers are omitted in the returns from the provinces.
┌─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ LEINSTER. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┬───────────────────┤
│ │ RURAL. │ TOWN. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┤
│ │ Houses. │Families.│ Houses. │Families.│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│First Class houses │ 2│ 2│ 24│ 33│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│“Good farm-houses, or in │ │ │ │ │
│ towns houses in a small │ 21│ 21│ 37│ 39│
│ street, having from 5 to 9 │ │ │ │ │
│ rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“A better description of │ │ │ │ │
│ cottage, still built of │ 47│ 46│ 23│ 16│
│ mud, but varying from 2 to │ │ │ │ │
│ 4 rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“All mud cabins having only │ 28│ 28│ 14│ 10│
│ one room” │ │ │ │ │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│Average age at death │ 32·│ 31·5│ 25·│ 25·4│
│ │ / │ / │
│ │ 32 │ 25 │
│ │ / │
│ │ 30 │
│Average term of premature │ │ │
│ loss of life as compared │ │ │
│ with the experience of │ 7 │ 14 │
│ Carlisle or the county of │ │ │
│ Hereford │ │ │
│ │ / │
│ │ 9 │
│ │ │
│Annual proportion of deaths │ 1 in 32·3 │
│ to the mean population │ │
│ │ │
│Average age of all who lived │ 25 │
│ in 1841 │ │
│ │ │
│Proportion of widows to every│ │ │
│ 100 of the population above│ 13 │ 17 │
│ 17 years old │ │ │
│ │ —— │ —— │
│ │ │
│Rate of increase on │ 3·35 │
│ population since 1831 │ │
│ │ │
│Excess of number of births to│ │
│ every 10,000 of the │ │
│ population above the │ 73 │
│ proportion of births in │ │
│ Hereford │ │
│ │ │
│Positive numbers of births in│ │
│ excess above the proportion│ 14,515 │
│ of births in Hereford │ │
└─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ MUNSTER. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┬───────────────────┤
│ │ RURAL. │ TOWN. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┤
│ │ Houses. │Families.│ Houses. │Families.│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│First Class houses │ 1│ 1│ 12│ 14│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│“Good farm-houses, or in │ │ │ │ │
│ towns houses in a small │ 13│ 13│ 44│ 49│
│ street, having from 5 to 9 │ │ │ │ │
│ rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“A better description of │ │ │ │ │
│ cottage, still built of │ 34│ 34│ 30│ 25│
│ mud, but varying from 2 to │ │ │ │ │
│ 4 rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“All mud cabins having only │ 50│ 49│ 13│ 10│
│ one room” │ │ │ │ │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│Average age at death │ 28·2│ 27·│ 23·6│ 23·7│
│ │ / │ / │
│ │ 28 │ 24 │
│ │ / │
│ │ 27 │
│Average term of premature │ │ │
│ loss of life as compared │ │ │
│ with the experience of │ 11 │ 15 │
│ Carlisle or the county of │ │ │
│ Hereford │ │ │
│ │ / │
│ │ 12 │
│ │ │
│Annual proportion of deaths │ 1 in 29·5 │
│ to the mean population │ │
│ │ │
│Average age of all who lived │ 24 │
│ in 1841 │ │
│ │ │
│Proportion of widows to every│ │ │
│ 100 of the population above│ 12 │ 16 │
│ 17 years old │ │ │
│ │ —— │ —— │
│ │ │
│Rate of increase on │ 7·59 │
│ population since 1831 │ │
│ │ │
│Excess of number of births to│ │
│ every 10,000 of the │ │
│ population above the │ 95 │
│ proportion of births in │ │
│ Hereford │ │
│ │ │
│Positive numbers of births in│ │
│ excess above the proportion│ 22,875 │
│ of births in Hereford │ │
└─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ ULSTER. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┬───────────────────┤
│ │ RURAL. │ TOWN. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┤
│ │ Houses. │Families.│ Houses. │Families.│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│First Class houses │ 1│ 1│ 10│ 9│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│“Good farm-houses, or in │ │ │ │ │
│ towns houses in a small │ 21│ 21│ 56│ 60│
│ street, having from 5 to 9 │ │ │ │ │
│ rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“A better description of │ │ │ │ │
│ cottage, still built of │ 45│ 45│ 23│ 21│
│ mud, but varying from 2 to │ │ │ │ │
│ 4 rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“All mud cabins having only │ 32│ 32│ 9│ 8│
│ one room” │ │ │ │ │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│Average age at death │ 31·8│ 32·│ 23·8│ 23·6│
│ │ / │ / │
│ │ 32 │ 24 │
│ │ / │
│ │ 31 │
│Average term of premature │ │ │
│ loss of life as compared │ │ │
│ with the experience of │ 7 │ 15 │
│ Carlisle or the county of │ │ │
│ Hereford │ │ │
│ │ / │
│ │ 8 │
│ │ │
│Annual proportion of deaths │ 1 in 31·1 │
│ to the mean population │ │
│ │ │
│Average age of all who lived │ 24 │
│ in 1841 │ │
│ │ │
│Proportion of widows to every│ │ │
│ 100 of the population above│ 12 │ 15 │
│ 17 years old │ │ │
│ │ —— │ —— │
│ │ │
│Rate of increase on │ 4·36 │
│ population since 1831 │ │
│ │ │
│Excess of number of births to│ │
│ every 10,000 of the │ │
│ population above the │ 84 │
│ proportion of births in │ │
│ Hereford │ │
│ │ │
│Positive numbers of births in│ │
│ excess above the proportion│ 20,003 │
│ of births in Hereford │ │
└─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ CONNAUGHT. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┬───────────────────┤
│ │ RURAL. │ TOWN. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┤
│ │ Houses. │Families.│ Houses. │Families.│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│First Class houses │ ·5│ ·6│ 7│ 10│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│“Good farm-houses, or in │ │ │ │ │
│ towns houses in a small │ 8│ 8│ 30│ 33│
│ street, having from 5 to 9 │ │ │ │ │
│ rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“A better description of │ │ │ │ │
│ cottage, still built of │ 39│ 39│ 36│ 33│
│ mud, but varying from 2 to │ │ │ │ │
│ 4 rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“All mud cabins having only │ 51│ 50│ 25│ 22│
│ one room” │ │ │ │ │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│Average age at death │ 26·1│ 24·3│ 22·6│ 22·4│
│ │ / │ / │
│ │ 25 │ 23 │
│ │ / │
│ │ 24 │
│Average term of premature │ │ │
│ loss of life as compared │ │ │
│ with the experience of │ 14 │ 16 │
│ Carlisle or the county of │ │ │
│ Hereford │ │ │
│ │ / │
│ │ 15 │
│ │ │
│Annual proportion of deaths │ 1 in 28 │
│ to the mean population │ │
│ │ │
│Average age of all who lived │ 23 │
│ in 1841 │ │
│ │ │
│Proportion of widows to every│ │ │
│ 100 of the population above│ 12 │ 17 │
│ 17 years old │ │ │
│ │ —— │ —— │
│ │ │
│Rate of increase on │ 5·58 │
│ population since 1831 │ │
│ │ │
│Excess of number of births to│ │
│ every 10,000 of the │ │
│ population above the │ 117 │
│ proportion of births in │ │
│ Hereford │ │
│ │ │
│Positive numbers of births in│ │
│ excess above the proportion│ 16,624 │
│ of births in Hereford │ │
└─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
┌─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────┐
│ │ IRELAND. │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────┬───────────────────┤
│ │ RURAL. │ TOWN. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┬─────────┼─────────┬─────────┤
│ │ Houses. │Families.│ Houses. │Families.│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│First Class houses │ 1·3│ 1·4│ 15·9│ 21·│
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│“Good farm-houses, or in │ │ │ │ │
│ towns houses in a small │ 16·8│ 17·2│ 43·6│ 46·6│
│ street, having from 5 to 9 │ │ │ │ │
│ rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“A better description of │ │ │ │ │
│ cottage, still built of │ 41·9│ 41·7│ 26·8│ 21·7│
│ mud, but varying from 2 to │ │ │ │ │
│ 4 rooms and windows” │ │ │ │ │
│ │ │ │ │ │
│“All mud cabins having only │ 40·│ 39·7│ 13·7│ 10·7│
│ one room” │ │ │ │ │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│ │ Males. │Females. │ Males. │Females. │
├─────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤
│Average age at death │ 29·6│ 28·9│ 24·1│ 24·3│
│ │ / │ / │
│ │ 29 │ 24 │
│ │ / │
│ │ 28 │
│Average term of premature │ │ │
│ loss of life as compared │ │ │
│ with the experience of │ 10 │ 15 │
│ Carlisle or the county of │ │ │
│ Hereford │ │ │
│ │ / │
│ │ 11 │
│ │ │
│Annual proportion of deaths │ 1 in 30·3 │
│ to the mean population │ │
│ │ │
│Average age of all who lived │ 24 │
│ in 1841 │ │
│ │ │
│Proportion of widows to every│ │ │
│ 100 of the population above│ 12 │ 16 │
│ 17 years old │ │ │
│ │ —— │ —— │
│ │ │
│Rate of increase on │ 5·25 │
│ population since 1831 │ │
│ │ │
│Excess of number of births to│ │
│ every 10,000 of the │ │
│ population above the │ 90 │
│ proportion of births in │ │
│ Hereford │ │
│ │ │
│Positive numbers of births in│ │
│ excess above the proportion│ 74,016 │
│ of births in Hereford │ │
└─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────┘
The proportion of widowhood (which would generally be attended by its
proportion of orphanage) to the short duration of life in the worst
conditioned districts is submitted as confirmatory of the principles
expounded in the General Sanitary report on the condition of the
labouring population in Great Britain. Vide p. 188, _et seq._
Conformity of the rate of increase of population with the ages of the
living and dying was not to be expected in the returns where the
emigration from the different provinces is (probably) variable; but in
the two provinces where the household condition appears to be the worst,
and the proportion of mud cabins the greatest, there we find the
mortality is the highest.
Where the pressure of the causes of mortality is the greatest; where the
average age of death is the lowest, and the duration of life is the
shortest, there the increase of population is the greatest. The
proportion of children is great because life is short and the generation
transient; the middle aged and the aged are swept away in large
proportions; and marriages are disproportionately early. But, says a
political economist in an essay in support of Mr. Malthus’s original
view, “The effect of wars, plagues, and epidemic disorders, those
terrible correctives, as they have been justly termed by Dr. Short, of
the redundance of mankind on the principle of population, sets its
operation in the most striking point of view. These scourges tend to
place an old country in the situation of a colony. They lessen the
number of inhabitants, without, in most cases, lessening the capital
that is to feed and maintain them.” What I apprehend the actual facts
when examined, place in a striking point of view, is the danger of
adopting conclusions deeply affecting the interests of communities, on
hypothetical reasonings, and without a careful investigation whether the
facts sustain them: the facts themselves, when examined, show that (be
it as it may with war) epidemic disorders do _not_ lessen the number of
inhabitants; and that they _do_ in all cases that have been examined
lessen the capital that is to feed and maintain them. They lessen the
proportion of productive hands and increase the proportion of the
helpless and dependent hands. They place every community, new or old, in
respect to its productive economy in the position which the farmer will
understand by the like effects of epidemics upon his cattle, when in
order to raise one horse two colts must be reared, and the natural
period of work of the one reared is, by disease and premature death,
reduced by one-third or one-half. The exposition already given, _vide_
General Report p. 176, _et seq._ p. 200, of the dreadful misery and
disease-sustaining fallacy which erects pestilence into a good, is
further illustrated by the effects of the proportions of the dependent
populations of Ireland. Thus in England, the population above 15 and
under 50 years of age in every ten thousand is 5025, and this five
thousand have 3600 children below 15 years of age dependent upon them.
In Ireland, the population above 15 years of age is 4900—in other words,
there are 125 less of adults in every ten thousand; and this smaller
proportion of living adults, with eight or ten years’ span less of life
or working ability, have 4050, or four hundred and fifty more children
dependent upon them. In England there are 1,365 persons in every ten
thousand, or 13½ per cent. above 50 years old to exercise the influence
of their age and experience upon the community. In Ireland there are
only 10 per cent., or 1050 in every ten thousand of the population above
50 years of age.
It appears from a report which the Census Commissioners give on the
sanitary condition of Dublin, that the mortality in the different
localities of that city varies with their physical condition in the
lower districts, and coincides with the description already cited in the
general report, from the report of Dr. Speer, the physician to the
Dublin Fever Hospital (_vide_ General Sanitary Report, p. 96). The like
consequences follow to the lower Irish population settled in the English
towns with the like habits, which permit them to accumulate refuse round
their dwellings, and live in an atmosphere compounded of the miasma of a
pigsty and a privy, and the smoke of a chimney in a crowded room. The
Census Commissioners of Ireland have endeavoured to obtain returns of
the chief causes of the mortality; and it appears from the report upon
them, that hitherto, notwithstanding all that has been said and written,
that fever has returned nearly decennially in periods, irrespective of
any general distress in that country, and has extended its ravages to
classes who were exposed to the miasma, but who suffered no distress.
“Cases of starvation,” it is stated, “have been registered from returns
at almost every age, 79 of them took place in the rural district, or 1
death in 11,539 of the general mortality of the open country, and minor
towns and villages: 18 in the civic, or 1 in 13,009 of the deaths in
towns of or above 2000 people; and 20 occurred in hospitals; the
patients having been admitted when suffering from want of food, or in
such a destitute condition as subsequently produced death from
exhaustion. Including the deaths in hospitals with those in the civic
districts, to which they properly belong, it appears that the deaths
from want and destitution in the larger towns have been 1 in 7240 to the
total mortality of these places. During the first 5-year period, these
deaths were on an average but 6 per annum, and in the last 5-year period
(that ending June, 1841) they had increased to the yearly average of
18.”
The dependency of the duration of life upon the physical condition of
the population, and the connexion of several classes of moral and
economical facts, with the proportionate mortality, may be further
exemplified. Taking the four counties in Ireland in which the
proportions of mud hovels are the greatest; and the four counties in
which the proportions of such tenements are the least;[44] I have added
the average ages of death as additional proofs and exemplifications of
the conclusions stated in pp. 128 and 129, and other parts of the
General Report.
──────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────
│ The four Counties where the average
│ proportion of mud hovels, as
│ habitations, is the lowest.
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
│ Down. Wexford. Kilkenny. Monaghan.
Proportion per cent. of │
families occupying │
habitations which are mud │ 24·7 29·4 30·9 31·5
cabins having only one │
room[45] │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 29
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportion of deaths from │
epidemic disease to every │ 36 28·5 36·8 40·4
10,000 of the population │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 35·5
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Average age of all who have │
died during the 10 years │ 33·6 34·10 33·2 31·4
ended 6th June, 1841 │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 33·4
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Average age of all the living │ 24·10 25·10 24·8 24·2
in 1841 │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 24·11
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportions of births to the │1 in 33·4 1 in 34·3 1 in 33·6 1 in 32·5
population │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 1 in 33·4
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Increase per cent. of the │ 2·7 10·6 7·9 2·5
population since 1831 │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 5·0
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Per cent. of the population, │ 39·7 35·6 37·8 40·9
15 years and under │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 38·8
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Above 50 years │ 12·0 12·5 10·9 10·9
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 11·6
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportion per cent. of male │
and female population, 17 │
years and upwards. │
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Unmarried │ 42 44½ 45½ 41
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 43¼
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Married │ 49 47 45½ 49½
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 47¾
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Per cent. of the population 5 │
years old and upwards, who │ 27·5 41·3 51·2 51·3
can neither read nor write │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 42·8
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportions of crimes[46] of │
violence or passion to each │
10,000 of the population on │
an average of 8 years to │
1812:— │
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Murders and Proportions│ ·11 ·20 ·44 ·55
Manslaughters │
Positive │ 31 35 83 88
Numbers. │
Proportions │ \--------------\/--------------/
│ ·32
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Rapes and │
Assaults, with Proportions│ ·06 ·15 ·22 ·35
intent to commit │
Positive │ 15 22 31 58
Numbers. │
Proportions │ \--------------\/--------------/
│ ·17
──────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────
──────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────────────────
│ The four Counties where the average
│ proportion of mud hovels, as
│ habitations, is the highest.
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
│ Kerry. Mayo. Clare. Cork.
Proportion per cent. of │
families occupying │
habitations which are mud │ 66·7 62·8 56·8 56·7
cabins having only one │
room[45] │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 61
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportion of deaths from │
epidemic disease to every │ 50·2 51·0 53·1 43·3
10,000 of the population │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 47·8
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Average age of all who have │
died during the 10 years │ 24·10 23·2 24·5 28·8
ended 6th June, 1841 │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 26·8
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Average age of all the living │ 23·1 23·0 22·9 24·0
in 1841 │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 23·5
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportions of births to the │1 in 28·8 1 in 28· 1 in 28·7 1 in 31·8
population │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 1 in 29·9
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Increase per cent. of the │ 11·7 6·2 10·9 9·9
population since 1831 │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 8·7
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Per cent. of the population, │ 42·4 43·1 42·4 39·7
15 years and under │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 41·9
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Above 50 years │ 9·4 9·4 8·7 10·4
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 9·5
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportion per cent. of male │
and female population, 17 │
years and upwards. │
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Unmarried │ 37 36 40½ 42
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 39
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Married │ 55 56 51½ 50
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 53
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Per cent. of the population 5 │
years old and upwards, who │ 70·4 79·0 63·1 65·6
can neither read nor write │
│ \--------------\/--------------/
│ 69·7
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Proportions of crimes[46] of │
violence or passion to each │
10,000 of the population on │
an average of 8 years to │
1812:— │
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Murders and Proportions│ ·71 ·87 1·08 ·52
Manslaughters │
Positive │ 166 271 249 316
Numbers. │
Proportions │ \--------------\/--------------/
│ ·72
──────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────────────────
Rapes and │
Assaults, with Proportions│ ·71 ·51 ·46 ·28
intent to commit │
Positive │ 166 159 108 178
Numbers. │
Proportions │ \--------------\/--------------/
│ ·44
──────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────────────────
The general sanitary condition of the population of Scotland and the
pressure of the preventible causes of death appears to be lower than in
England, and higher than in Ireland, and so it appears from the recent
census is the average age of the living.
It may be conceived that the low average age of the living in these
cases is ascribable mainly to an increasing proportion of children
incidental to an increasing population. Not so, however: the average age
of the living is more powerfully influenced by disturbing causes
affecting the population of adults, each with accumulated years, than by
causes affecting the infantile population. One adult of 50 years added
to the living is equal to the addition of 50 infants, and so with the
average ages of deaths. The average ages of the living appear to have
increased and not diminished with the increasing population. Be the
sanitary condition of the poorest classes and the amount of disease and
death what it may, as compared with former periods (and there is direct
evidence that it is in populous districts increasing), there has been
some improvement in the residences of the middle and higher classes;
household drainage and cleanliness has in some districts been improved;
the quantity of town and land drainage and cultivation has of late
increased in various proportions in each country; and the decrease in
the causes of mortality appears to have been followed by an increase of
the average age of the living, of particular classes at the least,
sufficient to present an increase, though a dreadfully slow one, in the
average age of the adults living. The increase of the proportion of
adults may be represented as follows:—
───────────────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────┬───────────────
│ England. │ Ireland. │ Scotland.
───────────────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────
│ 1821 1841 │ 1821 1841 │ 1821 1841
Percentage of │ │ │
Population of 15 │ 39·09 36·07 │ 41·06 40·44 │ 41·0 36·4
Years and under │ │ │
Over 15 Years │ 60·91 63·93 │ 58·94 59·56 │ 59·0 63·6
───────────────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────┼───────────────
│Yrs. M. Yrs. M.│Yrs. M. Yrs. M.│Yrs. M. Yrs. M.
Average age of each │=25·3= =26·7= │=2·37= =24·0= │=25·1= =25·9=
living individual │ │ │
───────────────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────┴───────────────
In abundance of employment, in high wages, and the chief circumstances
commonly reputed as elements of prosperity of the labouring classes, the
city of New York is deemed pre-eminent. I have been favoured with a copy
of “_The Annual Report of the Interments in the City and County of New
York for the Year 1842_,” presented to the Common Council by Dr. John
Griscom, the city inspector, in which it may be seen how little those
circumstances have hitherto preserved large masses of people from
physical depression. He has stepped out of the routine to examine on the
spot the circumstances attendant on the mortality which the figures
represent. He finds that upwards of 33,000 of the population of that
city live in cellars, courts, and alleys, of which 6618 are dwellers in
cellars. “Many,” he states, “of these back places are so constructed as
to cut off all circulation of air, the line of houses being across the
entrance, forming a _cul de sac_, while those in which the line is
parallel with, and at one side of the entrance, are rather more
favourably situated, but still excluded from any general visitation of
air in currents. As to the influence of these localities upon the health
and lives of the inmates, there is, and can be, no dispute; but few are
aware of the dreadful extent of the disease and suffering to be found in
them. In the damp, dark, and chilly cellars, fevers, rheumatism,
contagious and inflammatory disorders, affections of the lungs, skin,
and eyes, and numerous others, are rife, and too often successfully
combat the skill of the physician and the benevolence of strangers.
“I speak now of the influence of the locality merely. The degraded
habits of life, the filth, the degenerate morals, the confined and
crowded apartments, and insufficient food, of those who live in more
elevated rooms, comparatively beyond the reach of the exhalations of the
soil, engender a different train of diseases, sufficiently distressing
to contemplate, but the addition to all these causes of the foul
influences of the incessant moisture and more confined air of
under-ground rooms, is productive of evils which humanity cannot regard
without shuddering.”
He gives instances where the cellar population had been ravaged by fever
whilst the population occupying the upper apartments of the same houses
were untouched. In respect to the condition of these places, he cites
the testimony of a physician, who states that, “frequently in searching
for a patient living in the same cellar, my attention has been attracted
to the place by a peculiar and nauseous effluvium issuing from the door
indicative of the nature and condition of the inmates.” A main cause of
this is the filthy external state of the dwellings and defective street
cleansing, and defective supplies of water, which, except that no
provision is made for laying it on the houses of the poorer classes, is
now about to be remedied by a superior public provision.
Years. Months.
The average age of the white population living in New 23 3
York, according to the census, is
But the average age of all who die there is only 20 0
Or an excess of deaths over the ages of the living of more than three
years and three months; denoting, if the like excess prevailed from year
to year, an increasing pressure of the causes of mortality. If the
mortality be the same from year to year the chances of life would appear
to be lower in New York than in Dublin, where, according to the data
given by the Census Commissioners, it would appear to be 25 years 6
months.
In America little attention and labour appear to have been bestowed in
any of the rural districts on general land drainage. Yet nature inflicts
terrible punishment for the neglect of the appointed and visible
warnings and actual premonitory scourges, amongst which are the
mosquitoes and the tribes of insects that only breed in stagnant water
and live in its noxious exhalations. The cleansing and the general
sanitary condition of the American towns appear to be lower than in
England or Scotland, whilst the heat there at times is greater and
decomposition more active; pestilence in the shape of yellow fever,
ague, and influenza is there more rife, the deaths in proportion to the
population more numerous, and the average age of death (so far as there
is information) amongst the resident population much lower.
Years. Months.
The average age of the whole of the living population
in America, so far as it can be deduced from the 22 2
returns at the periods given in the census, is only
Notwithstanding the earlier marriages, and the extent of emigration, and
the general increase of the population, the whole circumstances appear
to me to prove this to be the case of a population depressed to this low
age chiefly by the greater proportionate pressure of the causes of
disease and premature mortality. The proportionate numbers at each
interval of age in every 10,000 of the two populations are as follows:—
United States of England and Wales.
America.
Under 5 years 1744 1324
5 and under 10 1417 1197
10 and under 15 1210 1089
15 and under 20 1091 997
20 and under 30 1816 1780
30 and under 40 1160 1289
40 and under 50 732 959
50 and under 60 436 645
60 and under 70 245 440
70 and under 80 113 216
80 and under 90 32 59
90 and upwards 4 5
—————— ——————
10,000 10,000
Average age of all the living 22 years 2 months 26 years 7 months.
Here it may be observed, that whilst in England there are 5025 persons
between 15 and 50 who have 3610 children or persons under 15; in America
there are 4789 persons living between 15 and 50 years of age who have
4371 children dependent upon them. In England there are in every ten
thousand persons 1365 who have obtained above 50 years’ experience; in
America there are only 830.
The moral consequences of the predominance of the young and passionate
in the American community are attested by observers to be such as have
already been described in the General Sanitary Report as characteristic
of those crowded, filthy, and badly administered districts in England
where the average duration of life is short, the proportion of the very
young great, and the adult generation transient.
The difference does not arise solely from the greater proportion of
children arising from a greater increase of population, though that is
to some extent consistent with what has been proved to be the effect of
a severe general mortality; the effects of the common cause of
depression is observable at each interval of age: the adult population
in America is younger than in England, and if the causes of early death
were to remain the same, it may be confidently predicted that the
American population would remain young for centuries.
Years. Months.
The average age of all alive above 15 in America is 33 6
The average age of all alive above 15 years in England 37 5
and Wales is
The average age of all above 20 years in America is 37 7
In the whole of England the average of all above 20 41 1
years is
The difference at the different stages of age appear also to prevail in
proportion to the different pressure of the causes of disease and
mortality in different districts in England: _e. g._ In the town
parishes of Middlesex the average age of the living above 15 years is 35
years and 10 months; but in Hereford it is 39 years and 2 months. In
Middlesex the average age of the adult population, that is of all above
20 years, is 38 years and 8 months; whilst in Hereford it is 42 years
and 1 month.
The comparative amount of disease and death elsewhere it need scarcely
be said, in no way affects the positive amount of evil in this country,
or dispenses with the duty of adopting such practical measures as may be
preventive of a single one of the cases of preventable deaths which
abound in masses in the large districts having the least unfavourable
averages.
The instances have been adduced to exemplify the suggestions of
amendment in the mode of measuring the amount and influence of
mortality, and more especially to show the importance of giving the
average age as well as the numbers of deaths and the average age of the
living in each class of the community.
The subsequent district returns and the notes extracted from the reports
made by the local registrars to the Registrar-General, in corroboration
of the General Sanitary Report, will show the immense importance to the
community of the facts that require investigation. It cannot be too
urgently repeated that it is only by examinations, case by case, and on
the spot, that the facts from which sound principles may be correctly
distinguished. They can only be well classed for general conclusions and
public use by persons who have large numbers brought before their actual
view and consideration, and who have thus brought before them
impressively the common circumstances for discrimination, which no
hearsay, no ordinary written information will present to their
attention. The attainment of this immensely important public service
might properly have been submitted as a principal instead of a
collateral object, to the improvement of the practice of interment, for
the appointment of such a small well qualified agency as that proposed,
§ 225, of some five or six trustworthy officers of public health for
each million of a town population with the requisite powers and
responsibilities for ascertaining the actual amount of the preventible
causes of death, and informing the local officers and the public of what
is to be done for their removal.
The districts are placed in the order of the average age of death of the
whole population during the year 1839, commencing with the highest
average.
──────────────────┬───────────┬───────────────────────
│ │
│ │
│ │ Number of Deaths of
District. │ Class. │ each Class.
│ │
│ │
│ │
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┬────────┬──────
│ │ │Children│
│ │Adults.│ under │Total.
│ │ │ 10. │
│ │ │ │
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│ │ No. │ No. │ No.
Greenwich. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 62│ 18│ 80
80,811. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 150│ 97│ 247
│Artisans, │ 947│ 414│ 1,361
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 141│ 110│ 251
│Paupers │ 109│ 21│ 130
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,409│ 660│ 2,069
│Averages. │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,780
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Camberwell. │ │ │ │
Population, │Gentry │ 58│ 23│ 81
39,867. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 111│ 86│ 197
│Artisans, │ 137│ 134│ 271
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 98│ 37│ 135
│Paupers │ 92│ 6│ 98
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 496│ 286│ 782
│Averages. │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 709
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Hackney. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 50│ 11│ 61
42,274. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 134│ 94│ 228
│Artisans, │ 117│ 120│ 237
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 80│ 102│ 182
│Paupers │ 46│ 4│ 50
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 427│ 331│ 758
│Averages. │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 995
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. George. │ │ │ │
Hanover Square. │Gentry │ 110│ 28│ 138
Population │ │ │ │
66,433. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 112│ 79│ 191
│Artisans, │ 528│ 344│ 872
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 18│ 17│ 35
│Paupers │ 77│ 12│ 89
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 845│ 480│ 1,325
│Averages. │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,260
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Rotherhithe. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 6│ │ 6
13,916. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 12│ 2│ 14
│Artisans, │ 70│ 14│ 84
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 78│ 121│ 199
│Paupers │ 33│ 5│ 38
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 199│ 142│ 341
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 385
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. Olave. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 4│ │ 4
18,427. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 55│ 46│ 101
│Artisans, │ 603│ 215│ 818
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 5│ 14│ 19
│Paupers │ 47│ 4│ 51
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 714│ 279│ 993
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 519
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Kensington, │ │ │ │
(including │ │ │ │
Chelsea). │Gentry │ 193│ 50│ 243
Population │ │ │ │
114,952. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 204│ 120│ 324
│Artisans, │ 559│ 619│ 1,178
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 202│ 181│ 383
│Paupers │ 106│ 36│ 142
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,264│ 1,006│ 2,270
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 2,782
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Islington. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 83│ 35│ 118
55,720. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 151│ 121│ 272
│Artisans, │ 177│ 260│ 437
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 106│ 27│ 133
│Paupers │ 49│ 10│ 59
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 566│ 453│ 1,019
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,177
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. Martin in the │ │ │ │
Fields. │Gentry │ 23│ 4│ 27
Population │ │ │ │
25,195. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 60│ 47│ 107
│Artisans, │ 165│ 137│ 302
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 89│ 112│ 201
│Paupers │ 68│ 4│ 72
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 405│ 304│ 709
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 601
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Poplar. Population│Gentry │ 16│ 7│ 23
31,091. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 44│ 40│ 84
│Artisans, │ 235│ 240│ 475
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 19│ 10│ 29
│Paupers │ 45│ 3│ 48
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 359│ 300│ 659
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,106
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Marylebone. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 156│ 40│ 196
137,955. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 198│ 172│ 370
│Artisans, │ 682│ 759│ 1,441
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 347│ 324│ 671
│Paupers │ 288│ 73│ 361
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,671│ 668│ 3,039
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 3,511
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Stepney. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 64│ 9│ 73
90,657. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 169│ 104│ 273
│Artisans, │ 568│ 591│ 1,159
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 203│ 274│ 477
│Paupers │ 189│ 28│ 217
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,193│ 1,006│ 2,199
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 2,502
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. Mary, │ │ │ │
Newington. │Gentry │ 79│ 13│ 92
Population │ │ │ │
54,607. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 75│ 64│ 139
│Artisans, │ 325│ 420│ 745
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 75│ 76│ 151
│Paupers │ 64│ 6│ 70
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 618│ 579│ 1,197
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,620
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. Pancras. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 151│ 49│ 200
129,711. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 349│ 286│ 635
│Artisans, │ 622│ 674│ 1,296
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 269│ 354│ 623
│Paupers │ 232│ 49│ 281
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,623│ 1,412│ 3,035
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 3,264
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
West London. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 12│ 4│ 16
33,629. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 83│ 103│ 186
│Artisans, │ 393│ 381│ 774
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 149│ 17│ 166
│Paupers │ 99│ 16│ 115
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 736│ 521│ 1,257
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 698
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Whitechapel. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 17│ 4│ 21
71,758. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 142│ 130│ 272
│Artisans, │ 741│ 637│ 1,378
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 116│ 313│ 429
│Paupers │ 166│ 37│ 203
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,182│ 1,121│ 2,303
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 2,103
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. James │ │ │ │
Westminster. │Gentry │ 27│ 9│ 36
Population │ │ │ │
37,407. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 68│ 66│ 134
│Artisans, │ 161│ 190│ 351
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 52│ 83│ 135
│Paupers │ 81│ 15│ 96
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 389│ 363│ 752
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 844
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
East London. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 14│ 3│ 17
39,655. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 134│ 164│ 298
│Artisans, │ 265│ 391│ 656
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 36│ 10│ 46
│Paupers │ 87│ 11│ 98
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 536│ 579│ 1,115
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,235
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Holborn. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 36│ 9│ 45
39,720. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 144│ 164│ 308
│Artisans, │ 231│ 353│ 584
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 21│ 6│ 27
│Paupers │ 105│ 32│ 137
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 537│ 564│ 1,101
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 969
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Shoreditch. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 63│ 23│ 86
83,552. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 153│ 150│ 303
│Artisans, │ 498│ 802│ 1,300
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 150│ 75│ 225
│Paupers │ 234│ 49│ 283
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,098│ 1,099│ 2,197
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 3,058
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
City London. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 32│ 12│ 44
55,967. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 247│ 244│ 491
│Artisans, │ 213│ 270│ 483
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 77│ 29│ 106
│Paupers │ │ │
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 569│ 555│ 1,124
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,210
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. John & St. │ │ │ │
Margaret, │ │ │ │
Westminster. │Gentry │ 37│ 14│ 51
Population │ │ │ │
56,718. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 82│ 102│ 184
│Artisans, │ 458│ 581│ 1039
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 38│ 24│ 62
│Paupers │ 97│ 19│ 116
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 712│ 740│ 1,452
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,730
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. James, │ │ │ │
Clerkenwell. │Gentry │ 52│ 15│ 67
Population │ │ │ │
56,709. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 99│ 109│ 208
│Artisans, │ 324│ 533│ 857
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 82│ 17│ 99
│Paupers │ 76│ 14│ 90
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 633│ 688│ 1,321
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,771
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. George in the │ │ │ │
East. Population│Gentry │ 18│ 3│ 21
41,351. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 66│ 72│ 138
│Artisans, │ 313│ 481│ 794
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 62│ 14│ 76
│Paupers │ 93│ 14│ 107
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 552│ 584│ 1,136
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,404
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. Giles and St. │ │ │ │
George. │Gentry │ 66│ 32│ 98
Population │ │ │ │
54,250. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 119│ 114│ 233
│Artisans, │ 280│ 584│ 864
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 42│ 20│ 62
│Paupers │ 208│ 34│ 242
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 715│ 784│ 1,499
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,622
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Strand. Population│Gentry │ 47│ 21│ 68
43,894. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 129│ 132│ 261
│Artisans, │ 299│ 382│ 681
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 26│ 19│ 45
│Paupers │ 15│ 5│ 20
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 516│ 559│ 1075
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 957
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Lambeth. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 141│ 64│ 205
115,883. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 340│ 452│ 792
│Artisans, │ 452│ 704│ 1,156
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 113│ 68│ 181
│Paupers │ 173│ 38│ 211
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 1,219│ 1,326│ 2,545
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 3,782
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. George, │ │ │ │
Southwark. │Gentry │ 32│ 9│ 41
Population │ │ │ │
46,622. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 66│ 53│ 119
│Artisans, │ 371│ 591│ 962
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 35│ 15│ 50
│Paupers │ 22│ 6│ 28
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 526│ 674│ 1,200
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,574
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. Luke. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 21│ 6│ 27
49,982. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 62│ 52│ 114
│Artisans, │ 391│ 569│ 960
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 85│ 49│ 134
│Paupers │ │ │
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 559│ 676│ 1,235
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 2,271
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Bermondsey. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 3│ 5│ 8
34,847. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 66│ 59│ 125
│Artisans, │ 202│ 373│ 575
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 24│ 26│ 50
│Paupers │ 62│ 14│ 76
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 357│ 477│ 834
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,151
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
Bethnal Green. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 39│ 11│ 50
74,087. │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 110│ 136│ 246
│Artisans, │ 468│ 874│ 1,342
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 69│ 19│ 88
│Paupers │ 76│ 19│ 93
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 762│ 1,059│ 1,821
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 2,674
══════════════════╪═══════════╪═══════╤════════╪══════
St. Savior´s. │ │ │ │
Population │Gentry │ 9│ 1│ 10
32,980 │ │ │ │
│Tradesmen │ 45│ 43│ 88
│Artisans, │ 250│ 248│ 498
│ &c. │ │ │
│Undescribed│ 89│ 198│ 287
│Paupers │ 23│ 9│ 32
──────────────────┼───────────┼───────┼────────┼──────
│Totals and │ 416│ 499│ 915
│Averages │ │ │
│ │ No. of Births│ 1,143
──────────────────┴───────────┴────────────────┴──────