^9(J Mr W. Fraser on the History and Constitution of 



this important fact, that very severe sickness among the lovver orders is not 

 more frequently terminated by death than among tlie higher. If, therefore, 

 the simple fact of the average time of sickness had been stated, there would be 

 no difficulty in computing the sick allowance ; and this fact, as well as an ex- 

 tension of the inquiry, is very easily attained by reference to the records of 

 the other hospitals in London. I beg farther to inform the Committee, that 

 the hypothesis which I hazarded in the conclusion of my memoir, is, on 

 stating the same to several physicians, considered to be reasonable, and is, in 

 fact, completely supported by the above details. — You have stated the results 

 of Sir Gilbert Blane*s practice among the higher orders, and also of his hos- 

 pital practice ; do you not think a very different result might be expected 

 from the mortality of the lower classes, who have not the advantage of get- 

 ting into hospitals ? I certainly had supposed that those who were admitted 

 into hospitals were the lower classes, as fer as concerns London, and the worst 

 cases ; but although there may, in other parts of the country, be many of the 

 lower orders, who have not the advantage of getting into such establishments as 

 the hospitals in London, yet I am not prepared to say that the mortality among 

 them would be greater, for this reason, because, in slighter cases, the coun- 

 try situation would seem to have its advantages, and in the severer sickness 

 they can in general receive medical advice and attendance, if not the com- 

 forts of an hospital. I am not, however, able to form any conclusion as to how 

 the fact may be. In reference to the conclusion to be derived from Sir Gil- 

 bert Blane's details, I beg to observe, that, supposing them to be borne out 

 by farther researches, they are most important in enabling us to determine 

 the sickness Avhich occurs at one age as compared with another, for, by the 

 law of mortality already discovered, we know the number of deaths which 

 takes place at each age. Now, by Sir Gilbert Blane's statements, it aj pears 

 that the number of patients were ten times the number of deaths. In my hy- 

 pothesis, however, I assumed, that the sickness which terminated mortally was 

 only a twelfth, and not a tenth, of the whole sickness which occurs, because, 

 in reference to the patients mentioned by Sir Gilbert Blane, as having been 

 received into the hospitals, it is to be supposed that those very patients may 

 have had sickness for some time at least before applying to be admitted into 

 the hospital, and that some of them also left the hospital without being cured. 

 I allow, therefore, two-twelfths for these circumstances, and I think, that, with 

 that allowance, the proportion between sickness in general and sickness which 

 terminates fatally, is as supposed by me in the Statement which I gave in, and 

 had written before I read Sir Gilbert Blane's Report." — Pages 96, 97. 



In the Statement above referred to, Mr Finlaison gives the following opi- 

 nions, and interesting observations. 



" With regard to the quantum of sickness prevailing among individuals in 

 the labouring class of society, there are at present no other materials extant 

 for estimating its amount, than those collected by the Highland Society ; but 

 it will be seen in the sequel, that, although I have laid down, in the shape of 

 tables, the conclusions resulting from those materiiils, I am aware that those 

 conclusions cannot be relied on, even for ordinary purposes, with safety, nntil 

 further information on this important subject is collected. They are, how- 

 ever, capable of being fully rectified or corroborated by materials, which are for- 

 tunately accessible, and which can easily be furnished on an extensive scale, 

 if your Honourable Committee should so require." 



"It appears that the whole number of weeks allowances in the above state- 

 ment (that of the Highland Society), which were granted to persons of 

 all ages under 50, was ...:,- 65,008 



" While the total number of members, co-existing under the age "J 



of 50, some or other of whom must have received the said allow- > 85,945 

 ance, was - _.-----l 



which is the same as if each one of them had received .75639071 fractional 

 parts of a week's allowance in every year under 50 years of age. It is, how- 

 ever, to be kept in mind, that members, on entering Benefit Societies, are 

 usually admitted under 30, at least in the majority of instances, and they 



