The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-07-15

STATISTICS THAT DR.. TANNER MIGHT f"of"'
ABLY PONDER AND REMEMBER.

ABLY PONDER AND REMEMBER.
fyxcm the London hcrssug Post, july lssi
A parliamentary return Is annually pup
,,.hoa % the - Deaths from Starvation !" Ia
az" M.,,ono,itau District, and looking over
sss,sn =, tho last few years IL Will DC seen
a., ,he number given varies CONSIDERABLY
rsst Gear n was eighty. Now, these re-
s~rns are al crses in which inquests have
hen he,d and the verdict OF eoroners lu'
ries recorded, aud even II we take Tue low
est member given for any OF the isst zen ..
twenty years, IL 10 painful enough 10 rehece
that any approximation 10 sucn n",noe'
should be possible. Az tne ssme u'.,
however. there is hardly justification In
she.e returns for the sensational articles
whirb are constantly written on these
.. Deaths from Starvation," as a scandal 10
our Christianity and civilization, ana a.
hideous examples OF the inhumaniiy OF tue
vieheSt cj,y I'm the world. The Hpurhs
Themselves distinguish between those from
actual :. starvation" and those " acce'eta'eo
Nv prjyation,- though the relative nuhoers
~ each are not given. But the distinction
AZ a most important one, as the expression
:. accelerated by privation covers very
wide and indefinite field. and certainly re.
Snces the deaths from actual starvation ="
40 very small proportion OF inc
to.a, returned. That deaths from saees
want OF the absolute necessariee y,
life do occur, both In London ano
tbe provinces. II would be IDLE 10 oeh!'
but IL may be denied that any great l.o,
marion Of these, or OF those "accelerateu
bv priyation,v can fairly be charged against
orr civilization and humanity, the laws OF
the country, or society In general. friva-
fion is a relative term, and doubtless many
lives might yearly be saved II expensive
medicines and expensive nutrltives. CON-
biued with skilled and assiduous nursing,
were at hand; but as iongas the world lasts
there will be in every community large
number Of poor persons who, when suffer-
ing from illness or debility, cannot com
mspd what they really require, and their
deaths may be said TO be more or less accel-
Grated by priyation. And there are many
cases I'm which disease has made such pro-
gress that no amount OF what may DC
called the luxuries OF illness would
prevent its being fatal. The coro-
ners' returns too often show that
+" drink and want" "bad air." "bad
attendance" "exposure to cold" impro-
per food" and variety Of other coucomi-
iants. contribute to swell the total OF I" star
walton" deaths, while large proportion OF
infantIle deaths come under the same head
ing, a fact which OF course maierialiyailecis
the significance OF the statistics considered
from an ordinary point OF view. There Is
anoih,r deduction to be made from the
deaths we are considering in the cases OF
poor persons who absolutely refuse to let
their poverty be known or TO take advantage
of the provision made by law, and gradually
euccumb to the privations they undergo.
We should be sorry 10 say word
against the honorable spirit Of indie
pendence which prevents many per-
sons from apply ing for relief, even in the
greatest necessity, but when death directly
or indirectly results from the refusal TO
make application il is uninst to charge the
law or society with the fatality. There is
vet another class Of "starvatiOn deaths
which every year contribute to the totals OF
the returns, and may be referred TO GER
tain obiQuty OF mind on the part OF suffer-
ers. The number Of such cases may not be
very great, but every year there are some OF
the persons who, through perversity OF
temper. obstinacy, imbeciity, quasi-mad-
ness, or q misery penuriousness OF habits,
deny themselves TO a great extent OF the
proper uecfssaries of life, refuse TO take
medicine, or utterly neglect themselves
as regards the laws OF health, and
so eventually compass their own de-
struction; ana yet tnese cascs, Wnen
inquests are held, are constantly as.
sociated with the verdicts which swell
the returns we are speaking OF, and
are quoted as rejecting on the constitution
Of modern society. And yet, once more,
there are the cases Of those who, though
they do not refuse to accept outdoor relief,
vet cannot be induced 10 enter the work
house or infirmary when they have arrived
at time of life or stage OF beslth when the
outdoor relief in money or kind Is abso-
lutely inadequate to keep body aud soul to-
gether. At length nature fails, and il sud-
denly at last death overtakes them and an
inquest becomes necessary the starvation
or semi-starvation verdict is given, whereas
these deaths may really be said to have been
ms voluntary as those OF the persons above.
mentioned, which have suicidal character
attached'to them.