VOL. XLVIII.3 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. SSQ 



years preceding 1 743 inclusive, anci add to this 2000, as above ; the whole of 

 the burials at that time within the bills will be 29 192, which being multiplied 

 by 30 gives 875760, for the number of the people at the year 1743. And 

 therefore tiie inhabitants are fewer now than they were in 1743, by 127000. 



If we were to try the same calculation, by taking the burials, at a medium, 

 only for .5 years to 1753, and also for 5 years to 1743 inclusive, the difference 

 will be greater. For the numbers at these two times will be 720180, and 

 906570, of which the difference is I8639O; so that the people would appear 

 fewer at 1753 than they were in 1743, by I86000. But this is not so much to 

 be depended on as the numbers above ; because there were two extraordinary 

 bills at 1740 and 1741. Or if we should imagine that there might not more 

 die at London than at Breslaw, that is 1 in 34, still the difference would be 

 greater than we found at first. For taking the burials at an average for ten 

 years, at 1753 and 1743, as above, the numbers would at these two times be 

 848130 and 992528, of which the difference is 144398 ; so that it seems plain, 

 if the bills are to be depended on, that there is a decrease of the people since 

 1743 of above an hundred thousand, and that at present the number is about 

 740000. And this ^decrease has been annually continued : for if we try the 

 thing further, at the distance of 5 years, and take at a medium for 5 years, 

 the burials for 1753 and 1748, the numbers will come out 720180 and 776520 ; 

 of which the difference is 56340, the number decreased for the last 5 years. 



There is another way of computing, from the number of houses ; but he 

 thinks this not so certain as the other. For here are two difficulties ; to ascer- 

 tain the number of houses, and to fix on the number of persons for each house. 

 As to the last. Sir Wm. Petty thought we might allow 8 persons to a house: 

 which Dr. B. found to be a mistake. He made an experiment of it, and got an 

 exact account of the numbers in each house in a certain parish in London ; and 

 he found that they exactly come to 6 in a house, empty and full together, for 

 there is seldom above one in 20 empty. And as in that parish the people are in 

 a middle condition, and some of them have a number of servants ; it may be 

 presumed they are in a middle state with regard to numbers, between the very 

 great families, and those in the lowest rank This is also confirmed, if we 

 allow, as above, 1 in 30 to die yearly in London. For within the city walls 

 there were 11857 houses in the 97 parishes, as appears from Mr. Smart's ac- 

 count, which was supposed to be very accurate at that time: but since he published 

 that in 1741, there are not so many houses within the city walls; for in many 

 parishes there are houses greatly enlarged, some rebuilt instead of 2 or 3 ; and 

 warehouses made of others. In some parishes there is 1 in 20 fewer than in his 

 time. In others perhaps there is no alteration. But he thinks they must, at an 

 average, be diminished 3 in 100 at least; and consequently there are about 354 



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