New-York tribune., 1874-10-24
SOCIAL SCIENCE ABROAD.
mr. LYON PLAYFAIR ON HEALTH.

,,oov THE arcrt Ar CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl
GLASGOW Oct. 6-H Saturdays excursions were
meant to brace up the members of the Congress ior
the work of the coming week. they must rear DC
pronounced a failure. So threatening was the
weather in the morning that the numbers OF 'hose
on pleasure bent dwindled TO one-han OF tue nuoer
of tickets taken for Arran and for Loch Lomohd'
Nobody who knows Scotland will be surprised al
thai. for nowhere are the gods of wind and rain
more caprcious. 1t has been blowing gale Tor some
days and that was an ominous fact for both excur-
sons were in great part by water The stay-at-home
party mustered in such force that scarcely mole
than 300 ont of the l 200 members of the Congress
oould be got together for both excursions. Ihey
were rewarded for their courage hear by ccca-
soual el;mpses of of the finest scenery III SCOT
land aud were dare say, much better on than those
who STAYED in the smOke-laden atmosphere OF 0ias-
gow-so much of il you can get TO Dreathe ln
its dingy hotels. can only speak by report, for
was 80 fortunate as to spend my Saturday and sun
day in a friends cOuntIy-hOuse in Roxburghshlre'
one IF the loveliest spots In the Lowlands whefe
roof 800 years old our shelter; where you
might wander about park shaded By trees not
much Younger. in an air as cold ana pure as II
the Cheviot Hills had been covered with snow
instead of the blue haze which softened their
swelling outlines. Few parts of Scotland are
n,ore beautiful none are rich IN the memories OF
ancient life and of modern romance, for this is the
Borderland the battle-ground for 400 years Detween
England and Scotland, the Tweed flowing swiftly
through il. with FlOdden Field in full view on one
hand and on the other the old Tower, beneath the
walls of which sir Walter Scott grew up, and where
that passion for chronicle and legend which was to
bear such wondrous fruit was first planted.
The address of DR.. Lyon Playfair on Health,
which has been looked forward to as one OF the
events of the Congress. delivered on Monday IN
the Queen's Rooms. Most of the eminent members
of the Association were present. Lord RoseDery
was in the chair and Lord HoughtOn. Lord Napier
and Ettrick, Sir Geo. Campbell, and the LORD fro-
yost of Glasgow Sir James Watson, were among
those on the platform or IN the audience. Inc SUD-
iect is one on which Dr. Playfair has long been an
authority, as he has upon some Others-upon more
indeed than one man often masters. For DR.. Play
fair is really a man of unusual intellectual vlgor.
As long ago as 1S43 then only a. he was appointed
Professor of Chemistry in the Royal Institution,
Manchester fresh from the laboratory OF Lleblg'
then al the hight of his fame. Ten years later he
was made Government InspectOr-General OF Schools
and Museums Of Science and Art, and quilted that
post in 1853 to accept the prOfessorship of chemistry
in the University of Edinburgh, which he held Tor
II years In 1865 he made his entry into politics as
member of Parliament for the universities
of Edinburgh and st. Andrews, and soon
took nigh rank in the House, spite of Its dis
like for prof ,ssors He showed himself
able and independent-so independent that when
Mr. Gladstone IN that desperate effort TO reconstruct
his tOttering administration in the Autumn OF last
year. made DR.. PlayfaI POstmaster-General, he
muzzled dangerous critic beside securing strong
man to replace weak one. Education has been
speciality of Dr. Playfair as well as Health and
Science and he has published books on all rec
topics He is a good speaker, and had no difficulty in
getting and keeping hold on his audience.
He began with question, and practical one.
Are we making distinct and satisfactory progress by
our sanitary measuresf If we date the standard OF
comparison far enough back may rejoice over an
unmistakable improvement for in London from 166O
20 1919 the death rate was 50 in 10O0 while during
the last "a years throughout England the average Is
but % per 1000 And if the mean age OF the whole
population remained the same in 1871 as IN 1861 that
does prove that sanitary science is not advancing
The causes of mortality increase, and the mortality
would increase unless hygienic Improvements kept
pace with them. Population cOnverges steadily to
large towns-in Scotland as elsewhere-and in Scot
land. unlike England, sanitary measures are neg
eced TO such an extent that the rate of mortality
has increased among every class of the population.
Here Is a table showing the number per thousand
ISJ5-59. 1S61-7O.
Principal towus...--...--------2693 2slS
Large tOwns.---..-..-..--.S..2 % - z45o
Small tovus..-...........-. 22Os
Rural ldistricts.............. 1920 1870
Let not Scot ehmen, cried Dr. Payfair-himseh
Scotchman-saturated as they. are with national
PRIDE. shut their eyes TO tins startling fact. The
facts he went on 10 give more startling still
The death rate bears. doubt, general proportion
10 the density of population but not to mere aggrega
tion Of numbers in one city In London it is 22.4
per l.OOO-the same as that OF small Scotch towns
In Glasgow 9O.4 per 1000. The difference means that
in Glasgow every year S,s17 persons are killed who
ought not 70 be killed and need not be. Itsa waste