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These facts and figures contain the very A B C of statistical
knowledge with reference to town populations. The rich people
live one family in one house. Between 60 and 70 per cent. of the
inhabitants of those houses are women—that is, domestic servants
—women in the prime of life and health. Children under 15
constitute only about 1 in 8 or 9 of the population. In 5 years
they lose 33.5 per thousand of their population by death, or 67 per
thousand per annum. Of this number, deaths under 5 are one-ninth
of the total deaths. Many of the inmates, if likely to die, are removed
elsewhere. On the contrary, the poor people live more than
two families in one house; the proportion of the sexes is equal;
there are no domestic servants; the number of children under 15
is 35 per cent. The deaths in 5 years are 119 per thousand of their
population—that is, 23.8 per thousand per annum—of which the
deaths under 5 are 60 per cent. The deaths in the poorer houses
must be more numerous, because more of the inhabitants are of the
ages at which mortality is highest, and because they have fewer of
the resources which make life worth having or possible to have.
We now proceed to sum up the deaths from preventible or
partially preventible causes in the whole parish.