128 

 CHAPTER XXIII. 



ON FAMINES. 



Equalization of food (501). Deficient crops (502). Enumeration 

 of famines (503). Inefficient legislation as to public health 

 (504). Proposed remedy (505). Duties of a council of health 

 (50t> 508). Precautionary measures (509). Absolute duties of 

 the executive (511 512). Table of esculents attacked by vastator 

 and other aphides (513). Other nutritive matter (514 517). 

 Excise laws (518) ; the year 1845 (519) ; 1846 (520). Conclud- 

 ing remarks (521522). 



(501.) IN former periods of the world famines were 

 more frequent than at the present time, because the means 

 of equalizing the food were more imperfect. Now, how- 

 ever, railways, steamers, and ships, can soon carry abun- 

 dance from the land of plenty to those regions where 

 scarcity and famine exist. 



(502.) The following list of famines will show that the 

 world has suffered from scarcity of food, and no doubt may 

 suffer again from a similar cause, should a great portion 

 of the globe have deficient crops : 



(503.) A famine which lasted seven years 1708 B. c. at 

 Rome, when many persons threw themselves into the Tiber ; 

 B. c. 440, in Britain, so that the inhabitants ate the bark of 

 trees ; A. D. 272, one in Scotland, when thousands were 

 starved ; 306, in England and Wales, when 40,000 were 

 starved; 310, .all over Britain; 325, at Constantinople; 

 446, in Italy, when parents ate their children ; 450, in 

 Scotland ; 376, all over England, Wales, and Scotland ; 

 739, another in Wales; 747, in Wales and Scotland ; 792, 

 again in Scotland ; 803, again in Scotland, when thousands 

 were starved ; 823, a severe one in Wales ; 836, in Scot- 



