608 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



brought down to fourteen or fifteen in a thousand. A quarter of 

 a century ago the death-rate from disease in the Royal Guards at 

 London was twenty per thousand ; in 1888 it had been reduced to 

 six in a thousand. In the army generally it had been seventeen 

 in a thousand, but it has been reduced until it now stands at eight. 

 In the old Indian army it had been sixty-nine in a thousand ; but 

 of late it has been brought down, first to twenty, and finally to 

 fourteen. Mr. Chadwick in his speech proved that much more 

 might be done, for he called attention to the German army, where 

 the death-rate from disease has been reduced to between five and 

 six in a thousand. Between 1871 and 1880 the death-rate in Eng- 

 land among men fell more than four in a thousand, and among 

 women more than six in a thousand. In the decade between 1851 

 and 1860 there died of zymotic diseases over four thousand per- 

 sons in every million throughout England ; these numbers have 

 declined until in 1888 there died less than two thousand in every 

 million. As to the scourge which, next to plagues like the black 

 death, was formerly the most dreaded small-pox there died of it 

 in London during the year 1890 just one person. Drainage in 

 Bristol reduced the death-rate by consumption from 4'4 to 2'3 ; 

 at Cardiff, from 3"47 to 2*31 ; and in all England and Wales from 

 2'68 in 1851 to T55 in 1S88. 



What can be accomplished by better sanitation is also seen to- 

 day by a comparison between the death-rate among the children 

 outside and inside the charity schools. The death-rate among 

 those outside in 1881 was twelve in a thousand ; while inside, 

 where the children were under sanitary regulations, maintained 

 by competent authorities, it has been brought down, first to 

 eight, then to four, and finally to less than three in a thousand. 



In view of statistics like these, it becomes clear that Edwin 

 Chadwick and his compeers among the sanitary authorities have 

 in half a century done far more to reduce the rate of disease and 

 death than has been done in fifteen hundred years by all the 

 fetiches which theological reasoning could devise or ecclesiastical 

 power enforce. 



Not less striking has been the history of hygiene in France ; 

 thanks to the decline of theological control over the universities, 

 to the abolition of monasteries, and to such labors in hygienic 

 research and improvement as those of a succession of men like 

 Tardieu, Levy, and Bouchardat, a wondrous change has been 

 wrought in public health. Statistics carefully kept show that 

 the mean length of human life has been remarkably increased. 

 In the eighteenth century it was but twenty-three years ; from 

 1825 to 1830 it was thirty-two years and eight months ; and 

 since 18G4, thirty-seven years and six months. The question may 

 come up here whether this progress has been purchased at any 



