Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1877-04-04
The Population Of the Earth and
the Progress Of Hygiene.

The most trustworthy estimate of
the people in the year 1876, AS fur
nished by statisticians, is l, 423,9l7.-
900. This is an increase of ever twen-
ty-seven millions on the estimate Of
1875, but the augmentation is not due
entirely to the excess of births over
deaths, but largely to the obtaining
of more accurate Information regard
ing the population of regions hith-
erto little known, and to m IRE per-
feet cencus returns from all countries.
Asia is still the home Of the ma
1ority Of the human race. About
four-sevenths Of the earth's popula-
ton, or S25,54S, 500, is Asiatc. Eu-
rope comes next with over n fifth, or
800, 17s, 800; Africa with about sew
enth, or 199,92l, 600; America with
less than a sixteenth, or 85,519,800;
and finally Australia and Polynesia,
with the very small fraction of 4, 748-
900 people. Europe is the most
densely populated, having SO persons
to the square mile; Asia, 4S to the
square mile; Africa, 17a, AMI Amer
lea and Australia, 51a and ~ re-
spectively.
There arc els cities with popula-
tons of over 100000; 20 of half a
million or more, a1d niue Of million
or more inhabitants each OF these last,
four are in China. New York-in-
GLIDING Brooklyn, as we may right
fully do for purposes of comparison
and the greatest cities Of the world
stand in this order: London, $780,.
42S; Paris, 1851, 792; New York,
1885, 22; Vienna, 1901, 800; Berlin,
1,044, 900; Canton and three other
Chinese cities, one million each
New York being third in the list of
great cities, without counting our
New Jersey overflow.
Though there are not at hand sta
tistics upon which to base an accu-
rate statement of the fact, yet it is
the general conclusion of all observ-
ers that the average longevity of the
human race has largely increased
within hundred years. The report
ed death-rates everywhere support
this conclusion; and 1t is thoroughly
proved that the deyastations of cpl
denies are nothing like so great now
as formerly. Medical science, in its
preventive aspect especially, shows a
steady advance in its ability to discov-
er, prevent and check diseases which
in past ages devasted large commu-
mites. In London, for example, two
centuries ago the mortality was 80
per 1000 and the average duration of
life was only 30 years. The death
rate, 90, 80; 16S1-9O, AL;
1865. 35.5; 1865, 24.9; 1871,
about as at present, 1915, and the
mean duration of life is now AZ years.
The same holds good throughout
England. There and elsewhere in
Europe, as also in this county, the
subject of public hygiene has reviewed
great attention in recent years, and
its difficulties are being steadily over
come. Men unquestionably live longer
now than their ancestors lived, and
have better average health, and that
our descendants will gam on lis in
these respects there is bot little rea-
son to doubt.
AS to grent cities, New York is
easily third in population, but be-
hind all England, and English cities,
many other European and most of
other American cities, in health and
average longevity. If it took in all
its children, it would press hard on
PARIS for the second place in popula-
ton, and before the next century is
reached, or before it has advanced
far, will probably know no superior
in poplutlon except marvellous Lon
.-[Sanitarian. New York.