52 ANALES DE LA SOCIEDAD CIENTÍFICA ARGENTINA 



varied sources; but with few exceptions, official data only have been 

 used. Tlie author waa lioping tbere migbt be some previous investiga- 

 tion similar to the one now attempted, wbich woiild be of assistance, 

 but he was unable to find any. 



An additional difficulty is, tbat where nations are at war, it is not 

 always possible, ñor desirable for them to collect all tbe statistics 

 they usually do in times of peace. This will account for tbe blank spa- 

 ees in the tables. As far as possible, percentages and figures relative 

 to the population as well as absolute numbers have been given; but 

 often the population is practically stationary, as in France, absolute 

 numbers are sufticient. In the case of countries where the percentages 

 are not given, as in Grermany in the war of 1870, the population did 

 not increase more than one per cent annually. This fact will help to 

 determine the meaning of the figures, when absolute numbers only 

 are accessible. 



ST ATI STIC AL MATERIAL WANTING IN MANY WARS 



It would be desirable to obtain educational, literary and sociologi- 

 cal data of many wars, but extensive search shows that it is not possi- 

 ble to find material suíficient for statistical purposes, except for the 

 present war, the Boer war and the Franco-Germán war. 



G-ENERAL EFFECTS OF WAR 



Before entering upon this study, it may be desirable to present in 

 advance and as briefly as possible the general results obtained. This 

 is done in table 1^ which gives some effects of war upon education, 

 literature, crime, suicide, marriage, and certain other social conditions 

 as compared with times of peace. Tbese efifects are expressed only in 

 j)ercentages of increase or decrease; the increases are marked by the 

 plus sign and the decreases by the minus sign. That is, each figure 

 means that the element to which it refers, according to the sign before 

 it, is affected by the war to the extent the figure indicates, as compa- 

 red with peace. If one desires to verify the comparisons, subsequent 

 tables giving the figures for times of peace must be consulted. 



