The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-18
. from tha scientific American !

- from the Scientific Amerfcanl 800 y
OF Population In Cities.
The great and growing question as to the
dangers, both 10 life and health, that result
from an oYercrowding of the population in
large cities has lately received a new treat
ment at the hands OF the learned Dr.. Parr,
by the labors OF whom the subject has been
reduced to science Of almost mathemati-
cal eXactness. In q paper entitled sDen-
sity or Proximity Of Population, it's Adj
and Disadvantages" recently pre-
sented to the congress at Cheltenham, Eng
land, by this excellent authority, the statis-
tics shown are somewhat startling, and put
forth in such way as TO prove exceedingly
interesting and instructive. DR.. PARIS
principle is this :" Observe the effects OF
the population-density; as rule; the greater
this density the shorter the duration OF life;
and this liie-duration is seen TO follow
ratio appreciable by simple arithmetic"
That man hy his very nature is grega-
rious in his habits, and that, following the
dictates Of his nature, it is his wont to con-
gregate in dense communities, Is TACT so
well known, and one that has been SO often
commented upon, as to appear frite IN lts
repetition. We cannot, perhaps, expect to
accomplish much in the way OF changing
his habits in this respect by moral suaslon,
the best we can do being to exhibit the
results that modern science has arrived at
in its investigations Of the subject OF over
crowding, not so much to the sufferers
themselves from this state Of things as to
the authorities whom they have elected to
look after their welfare. The gist Of the
matter is given by DR.. Parr in the follow
ing words: 1.-The nearer people live to
each other the shorter their lives are," and
the relations Of this proximity to the dura-
ton Of life are ascertained TO be as follows: {:
ssIn round numbers, where we stand on
an average 400 feet off from each other we
live on an average so years; where we are
300 feet olive live 40 years; where we come
within 60 feet OF each other we live but 80
yeals, and where we are but 20 feet off we
live but 25 years. 1t does not seem; likely
that by extending our interspace beyond
the 400 feet we could pro!ong the average OF
life beyond 30 years; but 1t is very clear
that IL we contract the interspaee beyond
the limit Of 20 feet we must rapidly re-
duce the mean OF % years to 20, to .15,
to- 10, and before long, so to speak, to
nothing.i That is to say, there is a certain
population-density with which, in the or
dinary circumstances attending such con-
dition human Iife&couid not be sustained
at all: and from this melancholy zero
there rises scale of progression, obeying,
Of course, a recondite but intellisible mathe-
matical law whereby we may measure off
in moment, according to the number OF
lives per acre, the number OF years Of life"
Again, from DR.. PARIS actual figures we
learn that "durinE the decennial period
from 1861 to 1870, inclusive, the death-rate
OF certain OF the most favorably situated
districts OF England, taken ut per one
thousand Of the population, proved to be
II per annum, 16, and even SO low as Is;
whereas in certain other places it stood at
81, 3333, aud even 80 per 1000 per annum.
He then tells US that in those cases where
16 died in 1000, each individual had to
himself, on an average, four acres; where Is
died, each had three acres; whereas where
81 died, each had only one-tenth part OF an
acre on an average; and where 80 died, each
had only one-hundredth part OF an acre.
The writer .5en goes on to show that, as
regards the intermediate cases, the regu-
larity OF the rule is sufficiently precise
lt further appears that tue densest and
most unwholesome OF the districts in Eng
land is Liverpool, where square mile
holds no less than 63,S23 human beings-an
average Of about one hundredth OF an acre
to each, or equivalent to space 12 by II
feet. THUS it may be readily seen that il
the men and children Of the lower order
were to be placed on surface OF level
country, each person being - feet from the
next, and il the dirt, destitution, intemper-
ance, and disease, coupled, OF course, with
tke toll of this class, were conditions pre-
sent in full force, 80 ont Of 1000, or say !
our; of 25, must die annually. In other
words, the average duration OF human life
mu9t be as low rs % years. @
Such al e some OF the more important OF
the intert sting facts given us by DR.. Parr
Ia his val, aable paper. The Architect, to
which we are indebted for an abstract OF
;hese conclL ,si0ns, remarks very truly that
8 no doubt [ he local circumstances OF any
particular col immunity must always exercise
considerable influence on the death-rate.
{ is scarcely ecessary to say that 1t is not
O much the crowd that kills as It is the
onditions und, sr which the crowd aecumu-
ates. the conGiit ions of soil and climate, OF
be coutamiuatio n OF air and water, OF the
isposal OF refus e, Cd food supply, OF the
OF st rong drinks, and OF social
baracter and b. sbits in various ways,
neither in labor or in idleness." While
,ere Ia NO doubt that such conditions as
,ese exercise q la rge influence on NOR
llity in large cities, tnare ls also no doubt
lat the death-rates In Hucn communItles
re pretty certain ind: sees 'eI tne periectaon
+ imperfection OF mu. tsetpaa arrangements
regard to sanitary m assA -
Without pretending t asass sas Sa.se, ;.s .s We
lav call attention, in &C uasssaioh r Misn tns .s.
lbIect, to the following 1aE- . FIon I.s LUG
CURES lately published by nne Serman In ini.
eriai Statistic Office, giyi ug lsEe molLa.y ;.ies
er thousand inhabitants in fae .c9leI ciIes
the world. NE learn that nne ueatuiials = :a's
the city OF New York is al soafs one .aiau ..ae
reater than that Of London aaa aS. LEastaon
reater than that Of Liyerpot y. Mntcu. as
r. Parr has shown, is the mo % "
'e district in England. I'll 4
o the Editor of the Cincinnati CSsen'eSr ss''1N
cidt: tsss3 !, Il IS ats