TRANSACTIONS OF THE SECTIONS. 177 



On the Comjxtrative Bates of Mortalitij in Paris and London. 

 By AVxLLiAir Tite, M.P., F.R.S. 



After noticing the imperfect manner in which the registers of the mortality of 

 Paris were kept, in consequence of the superficial mode in which the examination 

 into the causes of death were made by the agents charged with the duty of ascer- 

 taining them, Mr. Tite took occasion to praise the returns that were issued by the 

 care of the English Registrar-General. The imperfect character of the Paris re- 

 turns, and their only appearing at the period of two years after the events they 

 recorded, ' " ■ ^ ^ .. ■ i-i ■ . . 



tality of 1 



said Mr. 



and Paris rates of mortality, I do not pretend to give them with all the accuracy 



that ought to prevail in such important documents. For the Paris rates, in my 



judgment, can only be regarded as close approximations." 



Mr. Tite then proceeded to notice the various causes which, in his opinion, 

 ought to render residence in Paris more favourable to human life than that in 

 London. He dwelt upon the superior quality of the soil, the kinds of food that 

 are consumed, the class of materials that are used in house-building, the climate, 

 &c., all of which are superior in Paris to those which are to be met with in 

 London. Yet, with all these advantages, the mortality of Paris is greater than 

 that of London ; for we find, from the " Statistique Ge'nerale de la France " and 

 in the weekly returns issued by the Registrar-General, that the mortality of the 

 two cities may be represented by the following figm-es : — 



Year Paris. London. 



Rate per cent. Rate per cent. 



In 1853 2-95 244 



„ 1854 3ol 2-94 



„ 1855 2-99 2-43 



„ 1856 2-43 2-21 



„ 1857 2-73 2-24 



„ 1858 2-73 2-39 



„ 1859 2-86 2-27 



„ I860 2-53 2-25 



„ 1861 2-57 2-.32 



„ 1862 249 2-36 



10 I 27-79 10 I 23-85 



Average of 10 years. . . . 2-78 2-39 



It is, moreover, to be obseiTed that the increased mortality of Paris is accom- 



Jianied by a diminished proportion of births to deaths in that city compared with 

 jondon ; and that, therefore, this statement cannot be assumed to give a correct 

 view of the mortality prevailing there. Thus, if the years 1860, 1861, and 1862 

 be taken as giving the average retui-n (and those years are expressly selected as 

 being the most favourable), we find that the proportion of births to deaths in the 

 two cities was — 



Year. 



Paris. London. 



Births. Deaths. Births. Deaths. 



1860 51,056 41,261 92,825 61,617 



1861 53,570 43,664 96,.389 63,001 



1862 52,312 42,185 97,418 66,950 



upon a gross population that was estimated at 1,696,141 in Paris, and 2,859,778 

 in London. This would give a larger number of children bom in London than in 

 Paris ; and every one knows that the rate at which children die is gi-eater than in 

 the subsequent periods of life. The comparison is therefore the more unfair to 

 London: there were more children born there; consequently there were more 

 deaths among that class of the population. 



It was shown that the same tendency existed in the one city as in the other to 

 1864. X2 



