76 



Malthusianism and the 



attempting to counteract and neutralise the beneficent 

 and necessary ordinance of nature. It is well known 

 that the younger Pitt, under the influence of this 

 theory, was actually dissuaded from carrying out a 

 poor law scheme which he had prepared. 



During the last century the positive checks of 

 Malthus have been gradually eliminated, with the 

 result that there are few European countries in which 

 the average duration of life has not been doubled. In 

 Sweden, since Malthus wrote, the average has length- 

 ened twofold, so that, while to a given population 200 

 died annually, each year only 100 die now. The 

 nineteenth century has witnessed a marvellous change 

 in improved conditions of life generally — in comfort, 

 food, and clothing ; and this has been invariably accom- 

 panied by a lengthening in every country of the average 

 span of life. This is due not only to a reduction in 

 infantile mortality, but vital statistics show that this 

 applies to all ages of life in a corresponding proportion. 



I will now submit a table drawn up by Paulin which 

 gives for each country the average life of its people in 

 the decennium 1876-85, and also in the eight years 

 1 896-1 903 ; this latter year being the last which was 

 available to him at the time of writing. The table will 

 show the remarkable increase in the average span of 

 life in so short a period, which would be almost in- 

 credible if it were not attested beyond question. The 

 forces of civilisation have undoubtedly operated with 

 greater intensity than ever before, and resulted not 

 only in increased duration of life but in improved 

 sanitation, greater comfort, and material well-being. 

 In this way the social significance of the table can 

 hardly be over-estimated. It will be a revelation to 

 many that such differences should exist between the 

 average life-terms of the different countries. There are 

 few who would believe it possible that the average life- 



