May 27, 1910] 



SCIENCE 



803 



2900000- 

 2600000 . 

 Z^hOOOOO • 

 2200000 - 



2000000 — 



/BOOOOO - 



1*00000 ■ 

 fSOOOOO - 

 fOOOOOO ^ 

 800000 - 

 600000 ' 

 4-00OO0 - 

 200000- 

 SCME L 



Fig. B. Urban and rural population in Massa- 

 chusetts as shown by the censuses of 1880, 1890 

 and 1900. Urban population in outline and rural 

 in black. 



more rapid rate in urban communities 

 than in rural districts. 



Let us turn now from this statistical 

 consideration to certain facts of general 

 knowledge and observation which indicate 



not merely that we are gradually being 

 forced to live together and are suffering 

 thereby, but that we are learning to live 

 together with increasing success and in 

 some cases have already accomplished a 

 result which places city life not only on 

 a par with country life in healthfulness, 

 but superior to it. 



Water supply and sewage disposal are 

 fundamental elements of wholesome liv- 

 ing. In the very early days when the 

 water supply was taken from pools or 



1790 laoo mo 'S20 1330 IS*0 /SSO 1^60 



Fig. C. Diagram showing the increases in the 

 per cent, of urban population in United States 

 from 1790 to 1900. 



Fig. D. Diagram showing the death rates in 

 registration states from 1890 to 1905. The solid 

 line represents the urban rate and the dotted line 

 the rural rate. Note that the death rate is fall- 

 ing much more rapidly in the cities than in the 

 country. 



running streams, and when human waste 

 was either thrown on the land or into the 

 water, it was necessary for families to live 

 at considerable distances from each other 

 if they were to be safe from disease; and 

 even then there was a large degree of sick- 

 ness in the individual family, due to the 

 family waste. The location of privies in 

 relation to wells has been so thoroughly 

 exploited as to only need mention. Grad- 

 ually we have come to live closer and 

 closer together. To-day in our well-ad- 

 ministered cities we have better conditions 

 on the average than formerly obtained in 

 the country, with respect to these two 

 things. Our city water supply is safer 

 than that of country districts, which is 



