Ch. xi. On the Fruitfalness of Marriages. 489 



sequently, if within certain limits, the prolinc- 

 ness of marriages and the number of the born 

 living to marry increase at the same time, the 

 proportion of births to marriages in the registers 

 may still remain unaltered. And this is the 

 reason why the registers of different countries, 

 with respect to births and marriages, are often 

 found the same under very different rates of in- 

 crease. 



The proportion of births to marriages, indeed, 

 forms no criterion whatever, by which to judge of 

 the rate of increase. The population of a country 

 may be stationary or declining with a proportion 

 of 5 to 1, and may be increasing with some rapi- 

 dity with a proportion of 4 to 1. But given the 

 rate of increase, which may be obtained from other 



though these causes may undoubtedly exist together, yet if Dr. 

 Price's reasoning be just, such co-existence cannot possibly be in- 

 ferred from the lists of births and weddings. Indeed the two 

 countries, Sweden and France, to the registers of which he refers 

 as showing the prolifickness of their marriages, are known to be 

 by no means remarkably healthy ; and the registers of towns to 

 which he alludes, though they may show, as he intends, a want of 

 prolifickness, yet, according to his previous reasoning, show at the 

 same time great healthiness, and therefore ought not to be pro- 

 duced as a proof of the absence of both. The general fact that 

 Dr. Price wishes to establish may still remain true, that country 

 situations are both more healthy and more prolific than towns : 

 but this fact certainly cannot be inferred merely from lists of births 

 and marriages. "With regard to the different countries of Europe, 

 it will generally be found, that those are the most healthy which 

 are the least prolific, and those the most prolific which are the 

 least healthy. The earlier age of marriage in unhealthy countries 

 is the obvious reason of this fact. 



