TYPHOID FEVER 129 



of England and other countries which have made the 

 most progress in this direction is undoubtedly largely 

 due to these two factors. This is well illustrated by 

 the mortality statistics of armies. In the German 

 army, the annual death-rate in 1868 was 6.9 per thou- 

 sand, a decade later it was 4.82, in 1888 it had fallen 

 to 3.24, and in 1896 to 2.6. In our own army, the 

 death-rate during the period of peace just prior to the 

 Mexican War (1848) was about three and one-half 

 times as great as durmg the five years preceding 

 our recent war with Spain ; and since the year 1872 

 there has been a diminution of the death-rate of 

 nearly forty per cent. In the British army at home 

 stations, the mortality rate during the decade end- 

 ing in 1884 was 7- 2 P er thousand, in 1889 the rate 

 had fallen to 4.57, and in 1897 to 3.42. In the 

 Italian army there has been a gradual and progres- 

 sive reduction from 13.3 per thousand in 1875 to 4- 2 

 in 1897. The mortality in the French army was 

 a little over 21 per thousand during the five years 

 ending in 1825. In 1890 it had fallen to 5.81 per 

 thousand. 



According to the best estimates, the average of 

 human life in the sixteenth century was somewhat 

 less than twenty years ; at the present time it is 

 more than twice as long ; and during the past twenty- 

 five years the average duration of life has been 



