The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-08-06 00:00:00

MORTALITY TABLES.

The quarterly return of the Reziatr • • Ci neral usually
affords some points of interest. It cannot be otherwise
than satisfactory, for instance, to learn on undoubted
authority, that during the quarter heat completed a high
birth-rate his, been coincident with a low mortality, and
thug a subetaatial ;pin to the population has accrued.
What is celled "natural increase," by which is meant
the exam of births over deatha, amounted in the three
uientlis ending 30th June to about 87,000 persons—
equivalent to • ilsily addition of 957 to the steadily sue-
relenting number of the Entriish rice, whereof areertained
• migration absorbed about 180 per diem. Supposing
that inimignetion sloes no more than compensate for the
lore of those leaving this country oftwhom no resort is
kept, the re initial 777 persons must approximate elite& ly
to the absolute daily increment of the resident copula.
Pon of England during the quarter; and it is evident
that this would indicate • growth very much in
advance of the ratio commonly adopted in computing
the number of the probable future inhabitants
of lids division of the United Kingdom. The
IDS st remarkable feature of the Regietrar-fleneralla
waturn is the greatly improved health of the
districts comprising the chief towns, while the mud
-parte of the country, although partaking of the general
salubrity, only show • decline in their mortality. The
urban death-rate during the quarter was 218 per 1,0(X)
below the average of ten corresponding quarters. but
In the rural disteiots the decline wen only till per 1 MX
Taking thirteen of the eke( cities and towns of the
Voited Kingdom, the difference in the death-rate of the
corresponding quarters in this and last year represent.. •
saving of upwards of sere,, thousand lives in the short
apace of thr-e months. Plainly, therefore, the de•th•
rate i., within °ere ain limits, an element no controllable
an that its reduction to, and maintenance at, • low
standard betomea a matter of comparative certainty
:if the measures of public hygiene which have
Already borne such good (mite be preserved in.
A welndeierverl tribute ie paid to our neighbour theßev.
H. kfrotla,for the strait and valuable sanitary advantages
of his earth-closet system. The Registrar-General
gives a paragraph in which we are told of 'the settious
complications of waterclosot drain.; under that system
every house is put into communication with every other
boars, so that the srmotic volatile stuff of dimese has
a chance of finding it way from house to house through
One artificial channel, the only barrier being in the
most f ble cirounatances a film of a few inches
of water," and be then proceeds to say " tho earth is
one of the beat known disinfectants ; and in the dry
state it has some of those physical properties, of water,
which let to the invention now so coma • To a
went ific clergyman of the I huroh of England it is due
that by mechanical adaption the earth closet syttem
has been constructed, which promises to bi es useful
he the departments of public health and netional
unicultnre as the Reverend Edward Cartwright'n
nevention is in the cotton manufacture, The Reverend
henry A., vicar of Fordington, has shown
how, in the easiest and cheapest way, soil in houses
and towns can be disinfected, eqnverted into mould,
and ed lveireol bask to the uae. of agriculture, whilst
leaving 8.14, aneontanatmied and rivers unpolluted."
The mortality of the noutlnWestern district was 19
per 1.000. and the only selection from the local
registrars' noble in Doesea relates to Bridport,
and presents the flloowing gratifying tate :
"Births 96; Deaths MI. Deaths eonaiderably below
the every but I cannot say whether the recent
stringent measures adopted by the Loral Baud of
He
,ith with regard to whitewashiag. removing
nuisances, ka., have been the cause of the decreer..
One thing is certain, that for to., yearn past the
mortality has been very much greater than In the
present year, and the Local Board of Health has
eel cried meantime of cleanliness which had bees
neglected." The birslnrete will necessarily he dependent
upon certain conditions of msterial prosperty, which
may be atilleet to considerable fletetuation, oftentimes
through canoe., beyond human provision or control. The
depression of any branch of in ,ustry soon become.
npp.rent in the marrisge returns, and intervals of
neareity and high prices check the natural tendeney to
fulfil the mission for which our race was created. Wheat
is dearer now than it h.a been in any eoreeeponding
quarter since June, 1851: It has risen rapidly wiihin a
short time from en average price of about 45e. per
quarter to it. present quotation of 64. in the quarterly
return. And the proepeete of lb* harvest are not as
favourable as could be wished; indeed, there is every
probability of our having to sueounter • considerable
(deficiency in the yield of house-grown aim which
may have to be provided fcr by largely insreened
hoporlationa from shooed ,no doubt at enhanood
prior.%