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number of deaths) it not only does not follow that in a shifting
population an increase in the number of deaths shews an increase
of unhealthiness in that population, but the deaths may
increase even while the healthiness of the population is improving.
In order then to determine the relation which the annual mortality
in a locality bears to the healthiness of that locality, it is
essential first of all to ascertain the number of the population
among whom the mortality occurs. So that before we are competent
to form, from the mortality of our Parish in 1866, any
kind of opinion as to its healthiness in that year, the population
of the Parish during that year must t be ascertained. I
have shewn on many former occasions how difficult it is to
form, for any year, except census-years, any, even reasonably
accurate, estimate of our population.
The natural increase of a population is that which depenls
on the excess of births over deaths. This the tables, which I
publish annually, supply us with an easy method of determining
for our own Parish. It may be got also from the preceding table,
which shews that the addition to our population from this source,
during the six years which have elapsed since the commencement
of 1861, should be 6403. It need scarcely be said however
that, while our increase of population depends largely no doubt
upon this natural increase, it depends quite as largely, perhaps
even more largely, on the excess of immigration into the Parish,
over emigration out of it. If this excess could be determined
with accuracy the problem before us would be solved.
The population of our Parish increased between 1851 and 1861
(at which latter period it amounted to 71488) by 30.77 percent.
or at the annual rate of 2.72 per cent. Supposing the annual
increase to have continued the same during the period which
has elapsed since the census was last taken, the population in