THE MALTHUSIAN THEORY 



139 



English people has been prolonged by fully twenty 

 years, and that the average life in England one hundred 

 years ago was midway between the present average 

 life-spans of Austria and Hungary. These two 

 countries have only recently begun to emerge from 

 mediaeval conditions ; but it is pleasing to observe 

 how rapid is the progress that is being made by them. 

 In the decade 186675 the average life in Hungary 

 was only 25 years and 69 days. It has since risen 

 to 36 years and 329 days, or by 11 years and 260 

 days. The reader may be interested in ascertaining 

 to what extent the prolongation of human life has 

 ^been affected by the reduction that has taken place 

 in the mortality of infants and young children under 

 five years of age. The following table relating to 

 England and Wales shows, first, the average annual 

 number of deaths in 100,000 children under five 

 years of age in each decade since 1856; and, second, 

 the proportional mortality of the kingdom in 100,000 

 individuals. 



