64 DA R WINISM A ND KA CE PRO GRESS. 



of individuals into the period of maturity. From 

 this table it is difficult to say whether or no these 

 individuals are below the mean average type. We 

 have to die at one period of life or at another, and if 

 men and women are preserved from the dangers of 

 childhood and youth, there will be more to fall 

 victims to the lung and chest complaints of more 

 advanced life. 



But it is possible by other sets of figures, obtain- 

 able from the Registrar General's reports, to arrive 

 at some sort of decision as to the healthiness of the 

 middle-aged and elderly people living to-day, and to 

 compare these results with similar ones drawn from 

 the statistics of twenty or thirty years ago. 



Death-rate for Advanced Years on the Increase. 



In table 13 (Report of the Registrar General for 

 1891) the death-rates per 1,000 are given for differ- 

 ent age periods, and these results date from 1841 to 

 1 890, and are arranged in groups of ten years. 



The table was prepared in the following way. At 

 each period given, say from 1841-50, the number of 

 persons living at a certain age was calculated from 

 the census returns. The numbers dying at that age 

 being known, these are given in the table per 1,000 

 persons of that age. In order to reduce the number 

 of figures, I have shown the death-rates of two 



