The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1844-07-30 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.

sanatory and economical. On the first branch of the
subject there are two propositions, of which the public
should be fully convinced :—first, that a large amount of
suffering, disease, and death, is produced by artificial
causes; next, that those causes are susceptible of remo-
val, or at least very considerable alleviation, by proper
sanatory regulations. The registration of deaths has
established the fact (which was before very frequently
denied) that the rate of mortality in towns is much higher
than in the country. Now, as there is no reason for be-
lieving that the inhabitants of towns suffer more from
want of sufficient food and clothing than those of the
country, it follows that there must be something in town
life itself which causes or predisposes to disease. Many
inquirers have arrived at the conclusion that it is the em-
ployments of a town population, especially factory labour,
to which the evil must be attributed. If their conclusion
be correct, (and to a certain degree no doubt it is,) the
evil is one to which we must submit. It is satisfactory,
however, to believe that, without in any degree diminish-
ing the good arising from the full development of our
manufacturing greatness, it is within our power, as it is
certainly our duty, very materially to mitigate its evils.
In the first place, we consider it proved that the factory
system is not justly chargeable with the high rate of mor-
tality in towns; for a high rate of morality is found in
large towns, whatever may be the employments of their
population. For instance, in the average of the three
years, 1840, 1, and 2, the rate of mortality in Liverpool
was 3.5 per cent. ; in Manchester (proper 3.2), inclusive
of Salford, Chorlton, Hulme, and Ardwick, about 2.9;
in Hull 3; in Bristol 3.1. The above are examples of
high states of mortality in towns principally trading or
mercantile, while in others almost exclusively manufac-
turing the rate is not quite so high, as in Ashton and
Oldham 2.7, in Birmingham 2 7, in Bolton 2.8, Bradford
2.4, Bury 2.7, Derby 2.6, Leeds 2.7, Nottingham 2.8,
Preston 2.9, Rochdale 2.6, and similarly in several others ;
while in some few the rate is less even than that of the
average of the country ' • in Halifax and Kidderminster,
for instance, it is only 2.1 per cent.
We consider that the report before us shows that the
idea of reducing the rate of mortality in all towns to the
rate of Halifax is by no means chimerical. If this should
be accomplislied. the annual deaths in Manchester alone
would be diminished by more than three thousand.
It has long been an acknowledged fact, that disease and
death are much more rife among the poor than among
those in comparatively easy circumstances. Many Has-
trations of this appear in the report, but the fact is so
well established that we need not stop to quote them.
The difference depends, in a great degree, but not entirely,
upon circumstances quite beyond the reach of direct legis-
lation; upon the habits of the people, and the command
they individually possess over the comforts and necessaries
of life. But there are circumstances which law can regu-
late, powerfully influencing the health of the community.
Our readers may, however, be little prepared for the
striking illustrations of this, with which the report
abounds. For example, we find in Mr. Holland's report
for Chorlton-upon-Medlock, that among the inhabitants
of what he calls first-class streets, (that is streets well
paved and sewered, and wide enough to admit a free cir-
culation of air,) the rate of mortality during an average
of five years has been 2.2. per cent., or 1 in 16 per annum,
while in the third-,:lass streets, (those unpaved, unsewer-
ed, and narrow or obstructed,) it has been 3.7. per cent.,
or lin 27 per annum, or 68 per cent. greater. It is no
doubt true that part of this excess is owing to the more
easy circumstances of the inhabitants of the better condi-
tioned streets; but we are inclined to agree with Mr.
Holland, that not above half of the difference is attributa-
ble to this. If so, it follows that we have it in our power
to diminish the rate of mortality 20 or 30 per cent., by the
simple expedient of putting our streets into a satisfactory
condition. That this inference is probably correct is
shown by another fact, ascertained by the same inquirer,
namely, that the mortality in twenty streets which have
been improved, has actually fallen from 3 1 per cent., or
lin 32, to 2.53 per cent., or 1 in 31. The improvement
in the streets in question has been but partial, being
merely paving and sewering, (faults in ventilation of
the houses, and over-crowding, remaining unabated,)
and yet the result has been to diminish the deaths nearly
one-sixth. If this small amount of improvement has been
followed by results so gratifying, how much more may be
reasonably expected from a complete reformation of faulty
structural arrangements? It is evidently not at all ex-
travagant to estimate the number of lives which might be
thus saved in Manchester alone at thousands annually.
The experience of Leicester, though given in a dif-
ferent form, is exactly correspondent. It is found that
young persons are the great sufferers from badly con-
ditioned habitations; probably because young constitu-
tions are more susceptible of these influences, and per-
haps also because the children, being almost constantly at
home, are more exposed to them than the!" parents, who
are out at work. Of course, it follows that when the
children of a population are unusually unhealthy, more
than the average number die young, and consequently the
average age of death is low. The average age of death,
therefore, though not a certain is a tolerably correct indi-
cation of the healthfulness of a community. In Leices-
ter it is found that the average age of death in streets
which are completely culverted is 251 years ; in those
partly culverted 21 years; in those not culverted at all
17 years. It is also found that the proportion of the
deaths caused by epidemics is least in the better condi-
tioned streets. The proportion varies in each year, but
is constantly least in the streets completely culverted,
and generally only about half as great as in those where
the drainage is totally neglected. Confirmatory evidence
might easily be adduced from the experience of other
places, especially from the excellent report by Dr. Dun-
can on the physical causes of the high rate of mortality
in Liverpool, but we have already given a copious ab-
stract of this interesting document and we also previ-
ously published in the STANDARD several important and
interesting letters from a professional gentleman in this
town on the same subject. _ _

We believe the commissioners are fully borne out in
the strong opinion they express, " that the information
already elicited, offers the reasonable prospect that great
improvements may be made to the general benefit of all,
especially the poorer classes." But, in order that this
cheering anticipation may be realized it is indispensable
that the efforts which will be made by government to
effect it, shall receive the cordial aid and ready sympathy
of all classes. Nor can we doubt that they will do so ;
for surely measures tending so powerfully to elevate the
social and physical condition of our countrymen, will
command the best exertions of every man who honours
England and loves mankind.