538 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [anNO 1754. 



but three-fifths of what they were at that time, and the burials are likewise di- 

 minished above one-fourth in the last 5 years ; this seems to show, that the in- 

 habitants within the city walls must be nearly one-fourth fewer, than they were 

 in the year 17 18. 



Now, in order to calculate the number of inhabitants, it will be necessary to 

 observe, that in a year in London there generally dies one person in 30. This 

 Sir Wm. Petty has long ago observed ; and Dr. B. found it to be near the truth, 

 on consulting his parish register. For in the parish of Bassishaw, London, there 

 are not above 800 people, as appears from an account lately given him : and the 

 burials for the last 10 years in the whole amount to 262 ; which at a medium 

 gives 26 for one year, which is the 30th part of 800 nearly. In some parishes 

 in London there die more than in this proportion, as in St. Giles's Cripplegate ; 

 and in others in the out parts of the town there die fewer; but in general it will 

 hold true, in and about the city. In the town of Breslaw in Germany, from 

 which Dr. Halley formed his table for the probabilities of life, there die about 2 

 in 69, that is less than 1 in 34 ; as is plain from an easy computation. But 

 there certainly die more than in that proportion, within the London bills ; for 

 it appears that one-third at least of the children die under 2 years of age ; whereas 

 at Breslaw there die under that age, only one-fifth ; and therefore the difference 

 being two-fifteenths, or four-thirtieths, there die 4 in 30 more at London than 

 at Breslaw, imder 2 years of age. 



In the country the case is very different ; for there does not die above 1 in 50, 

 in healthy places. Sir Wm. Petty has also observed this. For in the parish of 

 Newchurch in the Isle of Wight, where Dr. B. resided some time, there are 

 about 900 people, and there does not die, at a medium, above 18 yearly ; which 

 is one in 50 exactly. And he believes this will be found to be nearly the same 

 in most of the counties in Britain, where the people do not live in great towns; 

 which shows the great difference between the effects of the air in London and 

 the country. 



K then it be allowed, that in London and Westminster there dies one in 30, 

 it will be very easy to make a calculation of the whole number of the people 

 nearly, that are within the bills. For if we take the number of burials at an 

 average for some years, and multiply that by 30, the product must be the num- 

 ber of the people. Thus if we take the number of the burials, at large within 

 the bills, for any one of the last 10 years, at a medium, from 1744 to 1753 in- 

 clusive, to be 22945, and add to this 2000, for those burials omitted in the 

 bills, as is supposed above, the total will be 24g45, all the burials within the 

 limits of the bills, for one year at 1753; and then multiply this by 30, the pro- 

 duct 748350 will be the whole number of the people nearly, at present. But if 

 we take 27 192, the number of the burials, at a medium, for any one of the ten 



