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78
Dr. Svkes, of St. Pancras, expresses the effect as follows:—
"It may be said that with increasing density on square space there
"is an increasing general and special mortality in insanitary areas.
"The general mortality increases at all ages, but particularly under
" one year. The special mortality shows the greatest increase
amongst infectious diseases, the next greatest amongst tuberculous
"diseases, and the next amongst respiratory diseases."* Dr.
Anderson, Medical Officer of Dundee, found in 1884 in that city
that the mortality in dwellings of one room was 21-4 per 1,000; of
two rooms, 18.8; of three rooms, 17.2; and of four rooms and
upwards, 12.3 per 1,000. Dr. Russell and Dr. Chalmers, of
Glasgow, have also shown the marked effect of overcrowding upon
mortality generally, and particularly upon mortality from tuberculous
diseases.
Class of Population Overcrowded.—A note may be
added here as to the class of persons found to be mostly overcrowded,
Mr. Charles Booth! has divided the population into the following
classes:—
(a) The lowest class of occasional labourers, loafers, and semicriminals.
(,b) Casual earners—Termed " very poor."
(c) Intermittent earnings.}
}Together termed " the poor."
(d) Small regular earnings.}
(e) Regular standard earnings.
(/) Higher class labour.
(g) Lower middle class.
(h) Upper middle class.
Accepting this division as provisionally correct, experience in
various parts of central London shows that overcrowding will be
*The Influence of the Dwelling upon Health —British Medical Journal, 1901,
i. 507.
† Life and Labour of the People.