186 



sanitary movements have overshadowed — viz. '' The special 

 influence of occupation." 



In this abstract, to simplify as much as possible, the town 

 population is divided into groups : one-fifth consists of certain 

 occupations not peculiar to towns, but common to the present 

 state of society, viz., out-door heavy occupations. This class 

 is amenable to the worst influence of town life, and without 

 the advantage of high wages and consequent choice of abode 

 and addenda to the necessities of life — its mortality in towns 

 is yet only 17*5 in the 1,000, the lowest mortality of the 

 kingdom being 15 in the 1,000. The other four-fifths consists 

 mainly of the skilled operative and commercial and profes- 

 sional classes. The mortality of this section is caused by the 

 skilled workers, and mostly so when constrained position is 

 requisite. One main object of the paper is to draw attention 

 to this special element of town mortality, the alteration in 

 the normal proportion of respiration to circulation of the 

 blood appearing to be the turning point from health to disease. 

 This portion of the subject cannot be entered into without 

 considerable detail, given in the Paper itself. One point 

 appears to be prominent, viz., that in the endeavour to venti- 

 late, cleanse, drain, and distribute our town population, the 

 necessary employment to earn a livelihood in towns has carried 

 with it the seeds of disease and death, and escaped to a great 

 extent the notice of those able and philanthropic people who 

 have devoted their energies to the best mode of increasing 

 the health and prosperity of their fellow-labourers. 



