On certain changes in the English rates of mortality / by Thomas A. Welton.

  • Welton, Thomas A. (Thomas Abercrombie), 1835-1918.
Date:
1880
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On certain changes in the English rates of mortality / by Thomas A. Welton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    From the Jottknai, of the Statistical Society. Maeoh, 1880. Oil Ceetain Oiai|G^ in the English Rates of Mortality. ^ A. Welton, Esq. ^ /^^^c^^^^i^u-^^^'^ .Society, 17th February, 1880.] (^.^iZ/^i/^^Z^. fBNTS: I. Introductoi^yX.^ y^l^^ —'^^^ Causes of the Increased II.—The Extent'qf^^t»^jChflrf*^^ Mortality amongst Males in Mortality^^T££iJfe?!^ 69 Aged 35—65 78 I.—Introductory. The leading fact in relation to the statistics of mortality is the regularity which underlies every variation of death-rate, whether such variation be found to exist on a comparison of statistics of several localities, or of the same locality at different periods and under dissimilar conditions; whether the reason of such variation be traceable to the influence of particular occupations upon mortality, to the results of migrations (in search of employment, of education, of amusement, or of renewed health), to the unequal stamina of different races of men, to the circumstances respectively affecting the two sexes, or to some alteration in the habits of the people. The essential nature of this regularity consists in the graduation of the series of death-rates at the several periods of life, beginning with heavy losses in the earliest years, descending rapidly to a minimum, and thenceforward progressively increasing until the end of life. The exact place of the minimum may fluctuate, and the increase afterwards may not proceed by similar steps ; the absolute rates at all periods of life may be strongly contrasted, but the general likeness of the series remains. We may say with truth that a resemblance exists between curves representing mortality at successive ages, even greater than that which unites in one category every right-angled triangle; for the sides of such a triangle may be of any length, but there are limits beyond which the variations of death-rates do not appear to go. Whilst regularity of type is tlie leading feature of tlie curves resulting from different series of death-rates, variability of detail is the next. When once the mind has grasped the idea of regularity of general character, nothing more remains to be learned °in that direction ; but as variations in the amount of losses by deatli are material and frequent, they afford infinite matter for study and observers are led to think rather too much of momentary changes VOL. XLIII. PART J. „ F