1 56 ALFRED FRYEK ON SOME PECULIARITIES OF THE 



The average age of death is not generally much to be 

 relied on as an indication of the rate of mortality, being so 

 much influenced by the relative number of births and deaths; 

 yet, where these are nearly equal, and there is little fluctua- 

 tion of numbers from emigration or other causes, the average 

 age at death is trustworthy. The only really correct method 

 of obtaining the rate of mortality is by comparing the annual 

 number of deaths at each age with the number living at the 

 same ages. An enumeration of the Society of Friends in 

 Great Britain and Ireland was made 6th Month 30th, 1847, 

 when there were found to be 18,733 persons living. The 

 average number of deaths per annum for the last fourteen 

 years is 357, therefore 19 per 1,000; or 1 in 51, died 

 annually. 



The average deaths per 1,000 living, for the whole country, 

 is 22, or 1 in 45 ; but were the number of births and deaths 

 equal it would be 1 in 41, or rather more than 24 deaths to 

 1,000 persons living. 



The high rate of mortality in Manchester, Liverpool, and 

 most of the large and densely populated towns, might be re- 

 garded as owing chiefly to the overwhelming preponderance of 

 the lower classes. Many of these live in small and ill-ventilated 

 houses, some in closed courts, and others live in cellars ; and 

 the greater number are employed at unwholesome or laborious 

 occupations. Their lives are further shortened by addiction 

 to intoxicating drink, by consuming badly-cooked food, by 

 want of cleanliness, and by various privations; the employ- 

 ment of mothers in other than domestic duties, to the neglect of 

 their offspring, tells seriously upon the mortality of children. 

 Taking these things into consideration, it might be supposed 

 that by attention to sanitary laws, the middle classes at any rate 

 might attain as great an age in the town as in the country. 

 To throw some light on this question, nineteen towns, 

 containing a comparatively large number of Friends, have 

 been selected, the age at death of each who died at one year 



