308 MR. J. BAXENDELL ON CHANGES IN THE SEASONS 



The following Table shows the number of deaths of males 

 in Lancashire^ in each class, during the years 1855-67 : — 



Year. 



Class. 



Total deaths 



from 



ascertained 



causes. 



I. 



II. 



III. 



IV. 



V. 



1855 

 1856 

 1857 

 1858 

 1859 

 i860 

 1861 

 1862 

 1863 

 1864 

 1865 

 1866 

 1867 



6909 

 6814 

 7628 



9559 

 6964 

 5500 

 7166 



7958 

 9606 



9738 

 11068 

 11899 



9039 



5548 

 5444 

 5476 

 5296 

 4862 

 5049 

 5394 

 5304 



5319 

 5506 



5958 

 6207 

 6162 



I? 194 

 1 1049 

 1 190 1 

 1 1603 

 11976 

 12876 



13553 

 13460 



13045 

 14119 

 13849 

 15720 

 15050 



3968 

 3598 

 3859 

 3899 

 3769 

 3988 

 4477 

 4157 

 4071 



4284 

 4700 

 4868 

 4968 



1589 



1495 

 1648 



1513 

 1574 

 1609 

 1600 

 1487 

 1642 

 1792 

 1926 

 1987 

 1809 



30208 

 28400 

 30512 

 31870 

 29145 

 29013 

 32190 

 32366 

 33683 

 35439 

 37501 

 40681 

 37028 



The mean annual numbers for the eight years 1855-62, and the 

 five years 1863-67 are : — 



1855-62 

 1863-67 



7312 5297 

 10270 5830 



12325 3964 

 14356 4578 



1564 

 1831 



30463 

 36866 



The ratios of the numbers in each class to the total number of 

 deaths are as follows : — 



1855-62 

 1863-67 



•240 -173 -404 

 •278 -158 -389 



•130 '051 



•124 -049 



A glance at these numbers shows that the greater mor- 

 tality in unfavourable years arises from an undue increase 

 in the number of deaths from zymotic diseases, or those 

 which are commonly regarded as preventible. 



An impression prevails very generally that when the 

 rate of mortality is above the average the excess is due to 

 a disproportionate increase of deaths among infants and 

 young children ; but if the increased mortality is due to 

 meteorological causes we should expect that the increase 

 would be relatively less among the very young and the 

 very old, who are least exposed to the vicissitudes of the 

 weather, than among the more actively employed and ex- 

 posed classes of the community. To test this point, how- 



