1 66+ ALFRED FRYER ON SOME PECULIARITIES OF THE 



The deaths in other parts of Lancashire, not included 

 in the four towns enumerated, present, at the first sight, a 

 strange appearance. The average age steadily falls — from 43 

 to 37 and from 37 to 34 J — yet this is perfectly consistent, and 

 is one other striking proof of the unhealthy influences in our 

 towns. Eighty to one hundred years ago many of our unhealthy 

 smoky towns were then comparatively healthy hamlets, and at 

 that time nearly all the people who were not included in the 

 largest towns, were living in the country ; but now, Wigan, 

 Bolton, Prescot, Warrington, Oldham, and others, have 

 become densely peopled. Thus we cannot assume that the 

 rural district is more unhealthy, but being partly converted 

 into a town district the variation is accounted for. 



In the whole of Lancashire there seems but little 

 change in the duration of life in the last sixty years. The 

 deleterious results arising from the increasing density of the 

 population, and the extension of the cotton manufacture, 

 accompanied with the combustion of so much coal, seem to 

 have been nearly counteracted by the increased knowledge 

 of the laws of health. 



A careful examination of the tables will suggest many other 

 points of interest besides those here briefly indicated, but even 

 a cursory glance will show that life may be much prolonged by 

 temperance and care. It will be equally evident that towns 

 are unfavorable to long life, and especially unfitted for young 

 children, whose life is always precarious and who are so easily 

 affected by injurious influences. Still we find that it is quite 

 possible for a town to increase in healthiness whilst it in- 

 creases in size, so we may hope that by a further knowledge 

 of the laws of health, and more especially by further atten- 

 tion to their requirements, the time will come when the 

 " Health of Towns" may be a reality, not a name. 



