BY E. M. JOHNSTON, PL.S. It 



This comparison again still more forcibly illustrates tlie 

 faulty indication of tlie total death-rate, as regards the com- 

 parative state of the health or sanitary condition of the tTVO 

 towns taken ; for it so happens that D, which has a much 

 smaller yield of deaths relative to each age group, is nevertheless 

 made to appear 1 "23 per 1,000 person 7w^7z,er than C by the 

 total death-rate ; whereas the true relation of C, in relation 

 to health and sanitary condition, as compared with D, can 

 only be ascertained by computing C'^ death-rates at each age 

 group in connection with the same living age group propor- 

 tions, as in D. By this means alone would a true comparison 

 be effected between them as regards health and sanitary 

 condition, and instead of C being 13"38 per 1,000 persons, and 

 lower than D by 1"23 per 1,000, it is, as regards health in 

 relation to D, really equivalent to 17"90 per 1,000 persons 

 living, or equal to 3 '29 per cent, per 1,000 above the index of 

 D. 



Since the Health Standard was pi'oposed by me in 1882, 

 another method for effecting truer comparisons than 

 offered by the total deaths between different countries has 

 "been adopted by Mr. Hayter (Year Book for 1885,pp.-264-268), 

 termed by him the Absolute JDeath-rate. This consists of 

 ignoring actual proportions living at each age altogether, and 

 artificially substituting uniformity of proportion, by recognis- 

 ing fifteen age groups of equal value (say 1,000 for each). It 

 makes no allowancefor the element of oldage,andconsequeutly 

 this health element neutralises the true approximate indication 

 of proportion from preventible causes. It is, however, an 

 admirable method in many respects, although its general 

 results would still produce anomalies in comparisons relating 

 to health and sanitary condition. 



The method would be greatly improved if the fixed 

 standard for the various age groups were more closely 

 approximated to the actual proportions living in different 

 countries. By dividing them into three groups, as follows, 

 this might be effected very closely, viz. : — 



Let A = Represent proportion of ages living 0-5 years = 3 * 

 B= „ „ „ „ 5-60 ,, =16* 



C= „ „ „ „ 60 and over =1 * 



R a= Death-Rate actually yielded by ages living 0-5 

 Rb= „ „ „ „ 5-60 „, 



R c= „ „ „ „ 60 & over 



D. = Relative Death-Rate for all ages. 

 Then, 

 AR^ + BRi^ + CR« 



A+B + C 



D 



* These figures are the lowest simple relative approximates to the mean 

 proportions living within the respective age groups. 



B 



