The Increase of Town Populations. 8i 



demonstrate by such comparison for no such statistics are 

 to be found comprehensive enough to make the result of 

 such enquiry valuable. There is however not the same 

 difficulty in informing oneself as to the reason why these 

 ailments should be more noticeable now than formerly, 

 the reason is that it was this class of fragile folks 

 that made up the higher mortality of former years. 

 Such a class did not live so long then as now, it had 

 hardly time therefore to shew its pale face before it was 

 handed over to the majority ; such a class could not sur- 

 vive the struggle for existence plus the effe6l of unsanitary 

 influences. But now we have it with us, and we may 

 justly hope that as such a class it will not long remain 

 but that with improved surroundings and beneficient 

 social changes it may outlive its present inherentdebility.* 

 It may seem in the face of such bright prospe6ls of 

 the community being of an all round healthy one, some- 

 what pessimistic on the part of any one to view the 

 question as having any possibly doubtful good effe6l 

 upon the community itself. But it may be asked, even 

 with a present non-effe6live element composed of those 

 fragile folks whether in the struggle (or a living a penny is 

 as easily gotten to-day as it was some 50 years ago ? Is 

 the competition for it less keen ? And, when we have 

 earned that same penny does it go further towards life's 

 necessities than it did formerly ? It is to be feared that 

 the answer to all this is " a thundering No!" It is quite 

 true that for the fortunate individual who gains eniploy- 



* From a biological point of view there can be no hereditary im- 

 provement of such an unfit class, the progressive improvement of the 

 community eliminates such a class ; but as the present paper is not a 

 biological one, I have taken the liberty of expressing myself as above. 



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