PHYSICAL DETERIORATION. 



Annual death-rates in England from various 

 causes, per million persons living, in groups of years 

 1858-1890 



This table demonstrates, therefore, in a most marked 

 manner, the action of modern civilisation and of 

 preventive medicine, which, by removing the microbe 

 and diminishing the dangers of child-rearing, has 

 diminished the rate of mortality to a very notable 

 extent in the early years of life. The increase in the 

 number of deaths from constitutional diseases, occur- 

 ring as they do in middle or advanced age, are 

 probably due to the survival of an increased number 



1 These include small-pox, measles, scarlet fever, simple and ill defined fever, 

 whooping cough, diphtheria, miasmatic diseases, cholera, diarrhoea, dysentery, ery- 

 sipelas, puerperal fever and thrush. 



2 Diseases of the nervous, circulatory and respiratory systems, cancer, diabetes 

 n d other constitutional diseases. 



