8 Human Physiology. 



there is more equality of condition and intelligence in 

 America; the French excel in taste and art culture; the lowei 

 classes are more comfortable in Spain and Italy; still England 

 may be taken as, on the whole, an example of what is called 

 civilisation, progress, science, Christianity, and the highest 

 condition of humanity. What this condition really is, I 

 propose now to consider. 



Being of English race and American birth, and writing 

 primarily for English-speaking peoples, I .can the better and 

 more properly draw my examples from the countries in which 

 I have mostly lived, and with which I am best acquainted. 



CHAPTER II 



PREMATURE AND PREVENTABLE MORTALITY. 



Natural Death The Age of Man His Triple Warfare Responsibilities 

 of the Governing Classes Statistics of Mortality Death-Rate in the 

 English Metropolis The Battle of Life. 



To the physiologist it is evident that the only natural death is 

 the death of old age. We expect every living thing to come 

 to maturity, perform its uses, decay and die. A plant springs 

 from its germ in the spring, produces its flowers and seeds in 

 summer and autumn, and in winter perishes. A tree may last 

 a thousand or several thousand years, bearing as many gene- 

 rations of leaves, flowers, and fruitage. There are insects of 

 a day, and animals that live for more than a century; but, 

 accidents or violence excepted, all things live out their natural 

 term of life. 



In the order of nature men should live about one hundred 

 years. There are numerous instances of men and women 



