New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-02
THE LAWS OF DEATH.

The Registrar Generals reports for long series of
wears show singular constancy in the number OF
suicides which annually take place in Great Britain
The causes of this remarkable uniformity are OBJ
scure but the fact is sufficiently well established
Something analogous TO the uniformity in the amount
of English suicide may be detected by comparison
of the numbers of deaths which take place annually
and at various seasons of the year in New-Iork Clty
In round numbers we lose $4,000 of our inhabitants
every year by DEATH 1t is to the credit OF the boru
of Health that the rate Of mortality OF late years
has shown q small decrease. The present DoaIu mas
been in authority since 1868, yet IN the lace VI a
slight increase i'm the population the nunDel VI
deaths has been kept at q stand-stlI. CohSiueIins
the steady deterioration, both OF Dody anu noiaiS
which has long been going on the condition of the
population of the city proper through the CROWN VI
the tenement-louse system and the exodus OF the
middle class il is strong testimony to the efficiency
&c the BOARD of Health that it has prevented the
death rae from increasing In very able paper In
a recent number of The Westminster RerielO 1t is
maintained that within the last twenty years, coin
cident with the rapid growth of the manufacturing
towns the average duration of life in England has
been shortened from the hideous train of inherited
and other diseases which have their origin. directly
or indirectly in the venereal infection. Intemper-
ance has also most destructive influence on the
vital tOrCeS Is ltnOJ NlJnln VI SfoiJ
intelligent observer that intemperance and prositu-
ton find the tenement houses of this city congo
ual soil in which to strike their roots and drop their
seeds
In the year 1866 the cholera visited our city, It's
ravages were not severe. and the loss Of life that
year was made up by the gain in 1867, so that the
average mortality for the two years was less than
5000 The number of deaths during the portion
which has elapsed of the current year is 2290. Is
timating mortality of 424 per week for the remain
ing five weeks reckoning from Saturday last the
total mortality for the year would be exactly 25,OOO
1t can safely be assumed, think that the number
of deaths will not vary one hundred from this es-
innate From JAN l. 1862 to the close of the current
year have period of five years during which the
population of the city has increased but inconsdera-
bly, 1t appears from the following table, that taking
the average of the two years 1866 and 1861 instead
of the totals for those years that the annual NOR
tality has not varied one hair Of one per cent from
1880:
Year. Number Of Deaths
1sG5----. ----------- 24'eto
1880 SS i5S average, aa987
1868 .............................
1869
The number of deaths IN 1868 % 1885, and in 1854
254GS. The mortality of these years was slightly in
creased above what truly belonged to the city by the
deaths of soldiers here to receive the benefits of
those years might also be included in the foregoing
table as they will De in the comparisons to be made
below.
If we divide the year into quarters the constancy
of the annual totals will appear still more remarka
BILE from the Irregularities in the mortality of CORE
spending periods in different years. For instance,
the number of deaths in the Summer quarter July
to September inclusive) of 1868, was SOS. In 1869
the number Of deaths in the same quarter was only
1890 But these fluctuations are made to disappear
when we take period of twelve months. In sober
truth the people of this city have to pay for any i'm
munty from death which they may enjoy in the
Summer by an increase of mortality at some other
season of the year. Those who passed the recent
Summer in the city blessed with cooler days and
nights than they had any reason to anticipate. The
Board of Health guarded them efficiently cholera
yellow fever aud the small pox. 1t therefore hap
pened that in the months of july August, and Sep
tember the mortality records embraced fewer deaths
than had been known in the Summer season for
many years. and in the words of the Sanitary Super
intendent, Autumn found the city free from every
Kind of epidemic disease and suffering only very
little from any kind of fever infection"
Since October set in the weather can hardly be &C
cused Of unkindness toward the sick and feeble. The
winds have not been more clustering the storms more
frequent or severe or the cold more intense than is
usual at this season of the year. And yet we find that
the death record of the eight weeks beginning with
October compares most unfavOrably with previous
Years The deaths in the Summer quarter were fewer
than in any previous year since 1862 The deaths
in the first two months of the Autumn quarter are
more than in any previous year since 1862. On the
other hand the deaths in the Summer quarter of
1865 were more than any Of the other years. excep
ting of course the cholera year, 1866. Conversely
the deaths in the first two months of the Autumn
onartCr of 1865 are less than i'm the same period of any
Of the other years We annex table: