Daily camera., 1898-06-09
OCCUPATIONS AND DEATHS.
CIergymen Seem to Lead the Most
IIcalthful Lives.

Hcalthful Lives.
The registrar general has just issued
a supp ement to the fifty-fifth annual
report Of births, deaths and marriages
in England and Wales, which contains
an account of the influence of occupa
ton upon male mortality, as shown by
the several employments of the male
persons between the ages of 25 and 65
whose deaths were registered during
1890, 1891 and 1892. Members of the
clerical profession are easily first in
their resistance to the forces which
make for dissolution. The phrase is
used to denote the clergy of the estab-
lished church, Roman Catholic priests
and ministers of other denominations
Their numbers in 1891 amounted to &c.
800, and they died at every age period
less rapidly than any other class in the
community. All necessary corrections
being made, and the general mortality
of males being represented by 1000,
that of the clergy is no more than 533.
The legal profession, as composed of
barristers and solicitors, contains little
more than half the number of the
clergy, or 19,97s persons, and their
death rate was greatly larger, reaching
821 as against 1000 for all males, and as
against 953 for all occupied males. The
medical profession included 1896
males, physicians, surgeons and gen.
eral practitioners. The comparative
mortality figure for the medical men
is 966. An interesting paragraph of the
report is devoted to railway workers,
and speaks well for their steadiness and
sobriety. Excluding directing officials
and clerks, railway servants number
141,460, and they fall into two main
sections, which exhibit considerable diff
ferences in respect of death rate Up to
their 55.h year drivers ard stokers die
less rapidly than guards, porters and
rointsmcn, but after that age they die
much more rapidly. The comparative
mortality figure for the former section
stands at $40, that for the latter at S25.
The mortality from alcoholism among
drivers and stokers is the same as
among the clergy, or only two, while
among guards, porters and pointsmenit
is five, which is still considerably less
than half the standard figure for occu-
pied males. An excellent place in the
tables is held by agriculturists, includ-
ing farmers and laborers, so as to iusti-
fly the belief that an active life in the
open air will do much to neutralize the
effects of exposure to cold and wet.
The liquor trades, as might be expected,
levy an enormous toll on those who are
engaged in them; and SO also do sew
cral industries which are well known
to be injurious; but it is difficult to un-
derstand, unless it be as consequence
of intemperancc, why butchers should
die in great excess of the bulk of the
population. Their comparative figure
is 1,096, SO that, roughly speaking, and
in an equal number of both, two butch
ers would die to a single clergyman.
Next to alcoholism as a cause of pre-
mature death are placed the industries
which are carried on in foul or in dust
laden air, and to these is attributed q
great but largely preventable waste OF
life. There are trades in which danger
conduces to high wages, and in which
those concerned have objected to any
abatement OF the danger, lest it might
abate the wages as well.-London
Times.