174 Value of Human Life in Canada, 



more than twice as long as those in the worst houses of the worst 

 streets. 



The existing state of knowledge in England on these subjects, 

 may be gained (1) from the quarterly and annual reports of the 

 Registrar-general ; (2) from the reports of Her Majesty's Commis- 

 sioners on the Sanitary Condition of the working classes, and on 

 the Health of Towns ; (3) from local reports and tracts published 

 by the various Health-of-Towns' Associations. The present laws of 

 England will be found in the " Public Health Act," and especially 

 in the " towns-improvement clauses." All these documents could 

 be obtained, either gratuitously or at a very moderate expense, on 

 application to "P. H. Holland, Esq., H. M. Commissioner for Bu- 

 rial Grounds, Burial Board, Whitehall, London, England." They 

 would form a very important addition to the public libraries of 

 every Canadian city. 



It is not to be expected that in a newly settled country, where 

 the population greatly fluctuates, according to the accidents of 

 immigration or commercial prosperity, the same accuracy of 

 detail can be arrived at. But, by collecting the facts already ac- 

 cessible, we can both take measures to guard against errors in 

 future returns, and shew the necessity of immediate sanitary regu- 

 lations. 



For the year 1851, we are in possession of tables, very carefully 

 drawn out, both of the population and of deaths, arranged accord- 

 ing to different ages and conditions, in the various cities and dis- 

 tricts of Upper and Lower Canada. By comparing these, one 

 with another, and taking the average number of deaths for every 

 thousand inhabitants during the year, we obtain the following 

 results ; the fractions here, as elsewhere, being disregarded. 



For the purposes of comparison, statistics are added from Eng- 

 land, where the returns are most accurately made, and the causes of 

 error most carefully guarded against ; and from the last official Re- 

 gistration Report of Massachusetts, as being a long settled State, 

 in climatal conditions not very dissimilar to those of Canada. The 

 general mortality of the principal part of Rhode Island is also 

 added, from the Government Report. 



