360 Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. [Sess. 
Table VI. shows the mortality according to sex and age in these two 
areas, and in Plate III. this is represented graphically. Up to ten years of 
age the mortality among males and females is lower (even in proportion to 
the mortality at all ages) in the rural than in the urban area. During 
the whole period under review the maximum mortality among males has 
been at an earlier age in the rural area, where it has ranged from 20-25 
to 30-35 years, than in the urban area, where it has ranged from 
35-40 to 50-55. In both areas there is a distinct and progressively 
increasing retardation of the age period of maximum mortality in both 
sexes, though this is more marked among males. The percentage reduction 
of mortality at age periods is shown graphically in Plate IV. At all age 
periods up to 45-50 it has been less in the rural area among both males 
and females. The reduction of the female rate has been less than that of 
the male rate up to 20-25 years in the rural and up to 15-20 years in 
the urban area. In order to contrast the influence of pronounced urban 
and rural conditions, the sex and age mortality in the principal town and 
in the mainland rural districts are set out in Table VII. 
Comparison with Urban and Rural Phthisis Mortality in England 
and Wales. — Dr Tatham investigated '* the phthisis mortality in two 
selected areas representing urban and rural England respectively. The 
urban area, with a population 1891-1900 of 16,465,427, consists of those 
counties which at the census 1901 were mainly urban in character, con- 
taining the chief centres of industry, and the rural area, with a population 
of 4,265,578, consists of those counties which, though containing some con- 
siderable urban communities, were nevertheless mainly rural in character. 
Mortality at all Ages.- Bin Table VIII. the statistics of mortality at all 
ages for these areas in England and Wales are given, as also for comparison 
those of the two areas in Scotland. From this Table it is seen (1) that the 
mortality among males in the urban area of Scotland, which was much 
higher than that in urban England in 1891-1900, fell to a lower figure 
in 1901-7 ; (2) that the male rate exceeded the female rate in both 
areas of England and Wales and in the urban area of Scotland during 
1891-1907, but only since 1901 in the rural area of Scotland; (3) that 
the difference between them is much less in Scotland, and that taking the 
period 1906-7, while in Scotland the male exceeded the female rate by 
4 per cent, in the urban, and by less than 3 per cent, in the rural area, in 
England and Wales the male rate exceeded the female rate by 33 per 
cent, in the urban and by 13 per cent, in the rural ; (4) that (1906-7) in 
* Supplement to 65th Annual Report , p. xcv, and Detailed Annual Reports for 
1901-7. 
