New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-08-05

fairer comparison with NewIOrk than the mahudctuI
ing towns The comparisons In the following taoo WIN
be found to give strong confirmation to the the truth OF
the main proposition harmoniziDe as they DO the three
censuses Of 1858, 1860, 1865:
Men. York 1858. 1860. 1868.
h hSs% $ sod iSlS 'g s1s
II NAV be asked II 80 per cent is the proportion which
be class Of persons aged IS and upward ought to bear
70 the total population in healthy city, how Is IL that
the per centage OF that class small In 1851 we
answer that in the decades which preceded 1880 Ihe III
crease of population very rapid and that large mum
beers Of young attracted to tho city by "hieh
ccessons to the population the centages OF the elder
classes were reduced. These same phenomena are now
going on in Chicago where, presume, gray'headed
men are not so numerous in Boston, In NewNork at
least I'm the city proper the increase OF population HAS Vi
late years perceptby sackened and larger proportion
OF the young employed in the various uaues anu
professions are drawn from the families OF our own e
Eens than formerly the case 1t should DO Observer
that while the OF 1865 gives the total number OF m
habants at nearly less than the census OF 1900
gives an absolute increase OF nearly 1000 10 lhat class VI
them the per cenage Of which We are now considering
g. The annually increasing per centage OF deaths OF
persons aged 80 years and upward strongly confirms inc
per centage given by the We have not at mana
complete set Of the City Inspectors Reports but we give
sucb results as we have been able TO obtain and which
are sufficient for the present purpose The per centage
OF deaths Of persons aged IS and upward to the tot
number Of deaths was In 1885, 225 In 1852 2jS III Iso
2G in 1867 % and In 1905 26 We omit per cottages
for the years OF the war; and for the cholera year. 1900
which obviously fair years for comparison That
these increasing per centagcs are not the result OF any
steady improvement the doathraie will presently APP
pear Such an Improvement would fret show itself in
great reduction Of the per centage OF iuoTtaty oil
children under years Of age. OF the deaths IN New
York city 567aud 1855, 50 per cent were OF children
under Ave years Of age which exactly the proportion
/ In tba and In a
other city, either In England or America,
so far as our knowledge extends do the deaths Of chill
under to per cent Of the total mortality
In London they 80 per cent In the years O2 IN
Liverpool AZ per cent and IN Birmingham and ohemeld
the unheathlest Of all English manufacturing towns
FOR chdren-they but 49s per cent In Philadelphia
and Boston tho per centage still less than in London,
being not more than II per cent The fatal results Of the
tenementhouse system nowhere more plainly per
cepble than In the terrible infant mortality with which
they load the death records OF New-York
g. The census OF 1900 shows the per cenagc OF per
sons aged IS and upward less in NewYork than In
Philadelphia or Boston. We annex the statistics for
Philadelphia and safolk County which includes Boston
and Chelsea, the latter city being IN effect but ward OF
Boston:
c,aon qrIoeO. Ysryori rhl.1.Pin. s.n't Co.
AgsJ IS and upwsri.......lg325I IGRJ s.cl
Thus itappears that first proposition is supported
both by the Of 1865 and by that Of by the
statistics Of English cities compiled from the OF
1891 by the tendency lof the natural movement OF the
population TO increase the proportion Of the class OF
persons aged over 49, when the per centage OF that class
has been temporarily reduced by very rapid increase OF
the younger classes; and finally by the agreement Of
the annual mortality reports with the testimony Of the
cenGuses.
PROPOSITION II-Less than Tren-seren per cent Of me
deaths ~ Ner York are Of perJons aged IS years and
uppdrd.
NH. thnA tNa Dn1go
Of vital Statistics Since the Institution OF the present
Metropolitan Board Of Health, that body has published
three annual reports, Infinitely more valuable than any
health reports which have before been given to the
citizens Of EewYOrk. We are happy therefore, 70 be
able TO refer the reader page l Of the Health Report
for for the per cenages Of deaths Of aged 35
and upward to the total mortality, since these per
ages compared with those which shall obtain for the
English cities win appear incredibly small. We
only he surprised, however, that the
Board, having these per centages before them
should not have been struck with the remarkable
relation between them and the corresponding ratios OF
persons living which had been calculated for the Of
the Board, and may with difficulty owing TO the
absence Of an index, be found in Of their reports
The deah.rate Of that portion Of the population who
have passed their 35h year. must necessarily be HIGH
but when that death-rate fails below the mean death
rate for the population of oil ages, the health OF city
may well become the subject OF concern 70 its In.
habtants This relation between the deahrate OF the
class Of aged IS and upward and that OF the
tire population so far knowledge extends pecu
liar TO the City OF NewYork. II such relation exists
and we shall give ample demonstration that II does exist
1t only be for the that the deathrate OF the
city is very high The fact that the mortality records
have given the testimony for several years. is
vneing proof that the circumstance not accidental and
exceptional We the statistics OF the comparative
mortality Of the class in question for five different years
TABLRX.
COMPARATIVE MORTALITY
the CITY
1883.
Total number Of deaths exclusive Of the still born. .29l6
Deinctns 81 whose unknown l59
Number OF deaths Of persons aged 4yg
cent OF IIo
Per esni Of persons living aged IS upward
total POPULATION, Of l155 227
1859.
Total number OF deaths.
whose
Number Of deaths Of persons aged over $40
Per cent Of ~ 25
Per cent Of persons ving sz,d IS and upward total
piaton eeosus OF 1900 A4
1860.
Total Number OF deaths.
Dedneihg 100, whose uuknONn 62
Deaths OF perloni aged IS and 53l0
1851.
Dtduetns ~, whose Aget
Deaths OF persons aged 80 and upNad,....,,.... 3bJ
Per cent oiHV5'''''''''.', 2J