134 



DR. ARTHUK RANSOME ON THE 



predisposing cause of the large group of scrofulous diseases 

 that annually carry off more than 30^000 persons. 



But in towns there are found many other malign influ- 

 ences in full operation in much greater abundance than in 

 the country — ill-ventilated, unhealthy, crowded dwellings, 

 sedentary and unwholesome trades and occupations, toge- 

 ther with much freer play to the two other causes of in- 

 creased mortality that have been mentioned, such as in- 

 creased facilities and temptations to the use of strong drink, 

 female employment, and consequent neglect of children by 

 their mothers. 



That town-life is more unhealthy than country-life, 

 that the mortality increases in some way with the density 

 of the population, is sufficiently shown by the following 

 Table :— 



The law of increased mortality with increased density of 

 population is, on the large scale, so definite and certain 

 that Dr. Farr has been able to construct a formula by which 

 in many cases the mortality can be calculated from the 

 density ; and if accurate data were obtainable, it might 

 even be possible to ascertain what increase of mortality 

 might have been expected to result fi*om the increased 

 tendency of populations to aggregate themselves together. 



