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that as our population acquires a larger proportion than before of
those whose death-rates are higher in middle life, in consequence
of their occupations, that the mortality must increase at those
ages, whereas at more advanced periods of life, when the
influence of occupation is not so much felt, and the ordinary
death-rate at those ages therefore prevails, we should expect that
in proportion to deaths at other age-periods the mortality would
be less above 65 years. The increase in the number of deaths
under one year to those at all other ages is very large, as there
were out of each 1000 deaths no less than 245 deaths under 1
year in the five years ending 1875, against only 202 in the
decennium 1851-61, whilst the proportion between 1 and 5 had
diminished, as there were not so many left at those ages who
were susceptible to children's diseases. At 5-15 the number of
deaths per 1000 was much smaller in 1871-75 than in 1861-61,
although there was a large proportion living at those ages. As
will be shown, this change has been caused to a great extent by
the increased density of the population. On the other hand the
alteration in the occupations of the residents, and perhaps other
causes, has led to the deaths of 272 per 1000 in 1871-75 amongst
those who were more than 15 and below 55, against 258 in the
same ages in 1851-61. One of the chief of these causes is the
proportion of servants to the rest of the population being smaller
now than it was 20 years ago.
The chief condition affecting the mortality of a locality is
the density of population. In order to ascertain as nearly as
possible the effect produced, the Registrar-General has extended
some investigations which he made some years since, has divided
the various districts of England and Wales into seven classes, and
carefully discussed the deaths at different ages. This investigation
shows that density of population affects children under five
years more than it does persons living at other periods of life,
and that it causes an increase at 45-65 years, after which the
effect of increased density gradually ceases.