New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1865-05-31

foregoing tables this conclusion can mean only
that death has apparently reached his present
maximum, rather than that a decline has ac-
tualy begun. Ths harvest Of death is in the
tenement. house, and the moderate increase of
mortality last year does not necessarily prove
more than that the highest probable number Of
deaths that could take place within twelve
months had already been reached. The water
ceases to rise upon the rocks but it maybe only
because the tide has attained its full hight. Wei
might take hope il we only could see the SAM
tary improvement; but that We only read about
as yet.
Since the Registrar lays so much stress upon
his elaborate comparison of our bills of mortality
with those of English cities, evidently with the
expectation of deducing conclusions favorable
to Ncw-York thcrefrom (though even be only
ventures to congratulate himself uponllst year,,
let US take single brief point Of comparison
from his own figures. Examine once more the
table comparing the percentages of mortality IN
New.York, London, England, and France, since
1850 for there is contained an unavoidable
crucial test Naming the cities in the above
order, the 0rsrags percentages read 3.4I, 23o'
go, and for France, $40. How then Is 1t that
New-York is the healthiest city in the civilized
world! A mere statistical comparison does not
present the whole case. Were the number OF
deaths in the two cities absolutely equal, New
York would then have a death-rate, by the
figures, as many times larger than LOndons as
its population ia smaller, but something
more still az sct-oT to its greater
natural advantages; were the perceatdge' oil
deaths precisely the same, New-iork wonid
nevertheless show really higher death-rate,
simply because she ought to show lower one.
The difference resides in the city, not the coun'
try, for the rate in England is far above that oil
the State of New-York. London and Paris both
have an insular position, and the Thames and
the Seine cannot be counted as advantageous to
the public health; they are sluggish and turbld
streams, almost growing by the filth that Is
poured into them. But orr own city occupies
narrow island close by the sea; is OF such
shape that tho winds may blow through
every part of it and it is washed by a noble
river on one side, and an estuary on The other,
in continual flow and reflow with Underwater.
Mature could not possibly have done more for
New.York, even if Murray Hilhad been an Alp;
and our metropolis ought TO be really the health
lest large city the world. We say large city, be-
cause the smaller the city the smaller the death
rate, other things being equal; and applying
this rule to the comparison between New-iork
and larger European cities, it may be seen how
wretchedlv the natural conditions OF good
health have been ncutralzed by abominable
municipal misrule. Mankind are never more
truly, though perhaps unwttingly and unwii'
lngly, gregarious thanin death; every man top
ples over his neighbor "a he falls himself, and
all the more surely if he falls prcmaturely or
unjustly Death is wonderfully begcttcr OF
death. and however We may disown the tene-
ment house, however pesticntial, during their
lives, they have claim which they are continu-
ally making good at their deaths There Is a
connection between them and their ncishbors
at their deaths, aud then they take unconscious
revenge. Pestencc will take them first If 1t
comes. and then the connection will appear
We pray to be false prophets in this respect,
but there is no security or safeguard except III
good governmental thing which good citizens
as yet are too few in number or too indifferent
TO secure. 1t is for themselves alone to say
how long they will continue to be- 80.