282 Mr. J. Barton on the hiflnence of high and low Prices 



the averages, with the anomaly exhibited by the fourth co- 

 lumn, which exhibits the rate of mortality in those years when 

 the price of wheat was between 705. and 80s. per quarter. It 

 will be seen that the number at the foot of this column, in- 

 stead of being less than the preceding number, agreeably to 

 the general rule, is somewhat greater. So invariable were the 

 results that I had obtained in my former calculations, — so 

 constantly had I found that every decline of price below 100s. 

 per quarter is followed by an increase of deaths, that I was 

 surprised to meet with any exception to this general law. On 

 a little further examination, however, I discovered that this is 

 just one of those cases in which the exception serves to con- 

 firm the rule. The anomaly in question depends entirely on 

 the peculiar circumstances of the year 1795, which was, in 

 fact, a year of severe scarcity, as any one may ascertain by 

 referring to Burke's " Thoughts and Details on Scarcity," or 

 other contemporary writings. The mortality of this year 

 ought, therefore, to be classed with the numbers in the last 

 column, though the average price of wheat did not exceed 

 74s. 2d. ; since it is evident that all scarcity is relative, and 

 that the same price which denotes a moderately abundant 

 crop at one period, may indicate a general failure at another 

 period. Omitting, therefore, the year 1795, the average num- 

 ber of burials per million of population, in those years when 

 the price of wheat fluctuated between 70s. and 80s., is found 

 to be 18*596, — intermediate between the numbers on either 

 side, — and the regularity of the results is restored. 



It may serve further to elucidate this subject, and to con- 

 firm the conclusions which I have been endeavouring to esta- 

 blish, if I show that on dividing the fifty years embraced by 

 the Population Returns into five equal periods, the general law 

 above enounced holds good with regard to each of these five 

 periods separately. The middle price, in every case, will be 

 found accompanied by a lower rate of mortality than the ex- 

 treme either of high or of low price. It is scarcely necessary 

 to observe how powerful must be the influence of the price of 

 corn on the duration of human life, when it can so far over- 

 come all the other circumstances affecting the rate of mortality 

 as invariably to make itself sensibly felt within the short in- 

 terval of ten years. I am somewhat curious to know whether 

 the reviewer, after looking over these statements, will still con- 

 tinue to maintain his opinion that low prices are favourable to 

 the health and longevity of the people. 



