98 THE LAW OF BIRTHS AND DEATHS 



ever, is an altogether inadequate explanation. France, a 

 country of small families, has a high infantile deathrate ; 

 while Ireland, where the people are still fertile, has a 

 low one. The falling birthrate in England during the 

 last quarter of the last century was accompanied by a 

 rising infantile mortality, the fall in the deathrate being 

 due to the saving of life during later years. 1 Moreover, 

 large families among prosperous people are not accompanied 

 by a heavy infantile mortality. 



In this connection some striking facts were mentioned 

 by Dr. Halford Ross, in his evidence before the National 

 Birthrate Commission, which came under his notice while 

 Health Officer in the Suez Canal Zone. " During the 

 years 1901 to 1910 health measures in this zone produced 

 a very considerable fall in the deathrate, from 30' 2 per 

 thousand to 19' 6 per thousand ; the infant mortality was 

 also reduced very greatly, and it was expected that, after 

 a lapse of time, the reduction of the deathrate would 

 result in a rise of the birthrate, and a corresponding 

 increase in the population. But such was not the case. 

 When the deathrate fell, the birthrate fell too, and the 

 number of the population remained the same as before, 

 even after nearly a decade had passed, and notwith- 

 standing the fact that the whole district had become 

 much healthier, and one town, Port Said, was converted 

 from an unhealthy fever-stricken place into a seaside 

 health resort. . . . From these observations it would 

 seem that there is a constant correlation between birth- 

 rates and deathrates. As one increases, the other increases ; 

 and if one is reduced, the other falls. In a certain place 

 a serious epidemic of plague occurred in 1907. The 

 deathrate rose higher than the birthrate for three weeks, 

 but very soon the birthrate rose and regained its former 



1 The Task of Social Hygiene, Havelock Ellis. 



