306 Of the Consequences Bk. iv. 



favourable change observed in the health of the 

 people of England since this period ; and justly 

 attributes it to the improvements which have gra- 

 dually taken place, not only in London but in all 

 great towns ; and in the manner of living through- 

 out the kingdom, particularly with respect to 

 cleanliness and ventilation.* But these causes 

 would not have produced the effect observed, if 

 they had not been accompanied by an increase of 

 the preventive check ; and probably the spirit of 

 cleanliness, and better mode of living, which then 

 began to prevail, by spreading more generally a 

 decent and useful pride, principally contributed 

 to this increase. The diminution in the number 

 of marriages, however, was not sufficient to make 

 up for the great decrease of mortality, from the 

 extinction of the plague, and the striking reduction 

 of the deaths in the dysentery .f While these and 

 some other disorders became almost evanescent, 

 consumption, palsy, apoplexy, gout, lunacy, and 

 the small-pox, became more mortal.:]: The widen- 

 ing of these drains was necessary to carry off the 

 population which still remained redundant, not- 

 withstanding the increased operation of the pre- 

 ventive check, and the part which was annually 

 disposed of and enabled to subsist by the increase 

 of agriculture. 



Dr. Haygarth, in the Sketch of his benevolent 



* Observations on Increase and Decrease of Diseases, p. 35. 



t Id. p. 34. 



X Id. p. 36, et seq. 



