CHAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



1872, the death-rate in the 24 districts of the city 

 varied from 19 to 39 in 1000, mean 287 ; and the 

 deaths under the age of 5 were 45 per cent, of all 

 the deaths. In 1832, cholera added 10 per cent, 

 to the deaths. In the two years ending September 

 1872, an epidemic of relapsing fever attacked some 

 1 5,000 persons. The hi^h death-rate in Glasgow 

 and some other towns arises from the hordes of 

 miserable people, as the Irish, in the worst parts 

 of the towns. 



In Edinburgh, in 1000 living, 29 died on the 

 average annually, 1780-89 ; 28, 1790-99 ; 25, 

 1800-29; 2 8, 1830-39; 28, 1840-49; and 25, 

 1860-69. The death-rate in this and other of our 

 great towns increased after the immigration of the 

 Irish, who, in 1847, formed 9 in 10 of the paupers 

 in Edinburgh. 



The Seasons and Mortality ' A green Yule 

 makes a fat kirkyard ;' but a mild and fine winter 



death are divided into disease and violence : 

 the diseases are divided into four classes zymotic 

 or epidemic, constitutional, local, and develop- 

 mental. Zymotic or epidemic diseases include 

 small-pox, measles, scarlatina, diphtheria, hooping- 

 cough, fevers, erysipelas, influenza, dysentery, 

 diarrhoea, cholera, rheumatism, syphilis, scurvy, 

 worms, alcoholism, hydrophobia, &c. Constitu- 

 tional diseases include gout, dropsy, cancer, 

 scrofula, phthisis, hydrocephalus, mortification, 

 &c Local diseases include those of the brain, 

 heart, lungs, intestines, urinary and generative 

 organs, and skin. Developmental diseases are 

 those of premature birth, malformations, child- 

 birth, teething, old age, atrophy, debility. Violent 

 deaths are those produced by homicide, suicide, 

 accident, or negligence. In the 20 years 1850-69, 

 the mean annual number of deaths in England 

 and Wales to 1,000,000 persons living was 22,340 



wards off disease, and prolongs life, especially of from all causes, and 22,093 from specified causes. 



the weak. Cold following exceptionally mild 

 weather, kills off at once the weak, who had been 



Of the latter, the deaths from zymotic, constitu- 

 tional, local, and developmental diseases, and from 



lingering on, and so crowd the kirkyard. The j violence, were in the ratio of 6-6, 5-6, 10-9, 4-7, and 

 death-rate is increased not only by exceptional , i. Of 80 deaths, apart from infantile, senile, and 

 cold, but varies with the ordinary changes of tern- violent, 16 arise from structural diseases, with 



perature of the seasons ; and so do disease and 

 sickness. The annual mean quarterly death-rate, 

 to looo persons living in England and Wales, 

 1838-71, was 25-0 in ist quarter ; 22-1 in 2d ; 20-7 

 in 3d; and 21-9 in 4th; in Scotland, 1871, 28-9, 

 25-4, 21-6, and 24-0; and in London to 100 deaths, 

 1864-73, 28-0, 23-7, 23-2, and 25-1, on the average 

 in the four quarters respectively. Thus fewest 

 deaths occur in Britain in the warmest quarter, 

 and most in the coldest But great summer heats 

 in other countries, and even exceptionally hot 

 summer weather in Britain, increase the sickness 

 and death-rates in bowel complaints. In England, 

 in autumn, there are 4 deaths in towns to 3 in 

 the country. 



Estimated Statistics of Humanity. At present, 

 about 1,377,000,000 human beings are calculated to 

 people the earth. They speak 3064 tongues, and 

 profess above iioo creeds. About 333,000,000 

 persons die yearly, 92,000 daily, 3730 hourly, 60 

 every minute, and I every second. The loss, 

 however, is more than balanced by new births. 

 Only 65 persons in 1000 contract marriage. The 

 average duration of life is 33-3 years. A fourth 

 die before their 7th, and a half before their I7th 

 year of age. Only i in 17 persons reaches the age 

 of 60 and upwards, and only i in 8 males can bear 

 arms. 



HEALTH, DISEASE, AND MORTALITY. 



Few persons enjoy constant health, vigour, free- 

 dom from accident, and a due proportion of busi- 

 ness, pleasure, exercise, and repose. Bad air, water, 

 and drainage, and disregard of the rules of health, 

 produce discomfort, illness, disease, and premature 

 death. Hence the loss of health and life in a 

 community. The sickness and death rates both 

 decrease from birth to puberty, then increase 

 slowly to the age of 50 or 60, and afterwards 

 rapidly. 



Man is subject to natural decay, to more than 

 900 diseases arising from specific causes, and to 

 the effects of poisons, parasites, and injuries. 

 These causes produce discomfort, or disable from 

 work for a time, or end in death. The causes of 



536 



phthisis ; 1 5 from lung diseases, excluding phthisis ; 

 14 from contagious and infectious diseases ; 9 

 from diseases of infants and children ; 7 from 

 brain and nervous diseases ; 6 from diseases of 

 the digestive organs ; 4 from diseases of the 

 circulating organs ; and 3 from other diseases. 

 In icoo deaths, 638 arise from diseases of the 

 organs and parts of the body, and 362 from all 

 other diseases. Of the former, 320 arise from 

 diseases of the lungs ; 144 from those of the 

 brain and nerves ; 104 from those of the digestive 

 and assimilating organs ; 35 from those of the 

 heart and vessels ; 10 from those of the urinary 

 and generative organs, and 6 from those of the 

 skin. 



An attack of acute recoverable disease or sick- 

 ness lasts only 6 13 weeks, and chronic recover- 

 able cases of sickness or disease exceed a year. 

 The records of Friendly Societies shew that after 

 the age of 15, when infantile diseases are over, and 

 when youth merges into manhood, human beings 

 on the average are subject to a certain duration of 

 sickness (5 to 7 days yearly in this country at the 

 age of 1 5), which increases with age, though vary- 

 ing a little with race, climate, &c. The sickness 

 and death rates vary with each other. In adults, 

 there are to I death at least 2 years of sickness 

 or disease requiring medical aid, and implying 

 inability to work ; besides, a host of persons are 

 subjected to temporary or permanent minor 

 indispositions and ailments destructive of com- 

 fort. This so far reduces the productive power 

 of a nation. Thus, in London, in the year, there 

 are 74,000 deaths, 150,000 persons confined to 

 bed for a time and unable to work, and a vastly 

 greater number always or for a time uncomfortably 

 unwell, though not necessarily requiring medical 

 aid. In the Friendly Societies of this country, 

 up to December 1850, of nearly 800,000 members 

 of the ages xo to 86, 25 per cent, were returned 

 as sick ; on a yearly average, each person was 

 sick 10-12 days, and each sick person was sick 

 40-5 days. In England and Wales (1871), 3-8 in 

 every 1000 of the population was an asylum or 

 hospital patient. On an average (1861-70), in 

 looo mean strength of the white troops of the 



