362 THE WONDERFUL CENTURY. 



YEARS. PREMATURE BIKTHS. CONGENITAL DEFECTS. 



1861-65, .... 11.19 1.76 



1866-70, . . . . 11.50 1.84 



1871-75, .... 12.60 1.85 



1876-80 13.38 2.39 



1881-85, .... 14.18 3.23 



1886-90 16.15 3.39 



1891-95, 18.42 3 87 



The worst features of this table are the continuous in- 

 crease it shows, indicating the action of some constant 

 and increasing cause, and the more rapid increase in the 

 latter half of the period, indicating that the conditions 

 are becoming increasingly worse and worse. 



It is the common belief that intemperance has greatly 

 decreased among us, and no doubt that is the case as 

 compared with the early part of the century. But as 

 regards chronic intemperance resulting in death, the 

 Registrar-General's figures show us that for the last 

 thirty years it has been increasing: 



DEATHS FROM ALCOHOLISM 

 AND DELIRIUM TREMENS 

 PER MILLION LIVING. 

 41.6 

 354 

 37.6 

 42.2 

 48.0 

 55.4 

 68.2 



Here the increase began a little later, but it shows the 

 same alarming fact of being much more rapid in the last 

 fifteen years. For the last twenty years the deaths are 

 given for males and females separately, and we find that 

 the death-rates of the latter from this cause have in- 



