DEATH-RATES 285 



arrangements of those cities, as well as with the enforce- 

 ment of regulations to prevent overcrowding, and with the 

 demolition of the most insanitary houses. Rules as to 

 the removal of filth from the neighbourhood of dwelling- 

 houses have been obeyed, and sick persons suffering from 

 infectious diseases have been removed from dwelling- 

 houses and conveyed to special hospitals. There is no 

 doubt that the diminished death-rate is due to the action 

 thus taken, and more will be done in the future to the 

 same end. The proper provision of pure milk (at a 

 reasonable price) for the food of the youngest children, 

 of regular meals for older children, and the protection 

 of adults from the too frequent inducement to indulge in 

 the use of distilled spirits, will be taken in hand by the 

 municipalities, and lead to a further diminution in the 

 death-rate. 



We may, indeed, soon have to ask whether, in a 

 population which has become so much less subject to 

 diminution by death than was formerly the case, there is 

 not too great an increase by birth too great, that is to 

 say, for the existing means of employment and food- 

 production. A most serious, indeed, an alarming fact, 

 has recently come to light in the study of this question, 

 namely, that the increase of the population is due (as 

 pointed out on p. 279) to the proportionately larger 

 number of births amongst the poorer, and even destitute, 

 sections of the community who have not the means of 

 training and rearing their children satisfactorily, and are 

 themselves likely to transmit incapacity of one kind and 

 another to their offspring ; whilst those who have valuable 

 hereditary qualities and are prosperous have it is clearly 

 established relatively few children and, in fact, do not 

 increase the population. Whether this condition of things 

 constitutes a real danger, how it will ultimately work out 

 if left alone, and how the difficulty is to be met, are 



