Statistics of consumption in Roxbury : read before the Norfolk District Medical Society of Massachusetts, at the Annual Meeting, May 17th, 1854 / (printed by vote of the Society) ; by B. E. Cotting ; with an appendix.

  • Benjamin Eddy Cotting
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Statistics of consumption in Roxbury : read before the Norfolk District Medical Society of Massachusetts, at the Annual Meeting, May 17th, 1854 / (printed by vote of the Society) ; by B. E. Cotting ; with an appendix. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    I.— Is consumption increasing in a more rapid ratio than the popu- lation ? The average annual increase in the population of Roxbury from 1S45 to 1850, as shown by the census taken in those years, was 875 a year, or 62} for every thousand inhabitants. From the best estimates that can be formed, from rolls and other docu- ments kept since 1850, it is inferred by those most conversant with these matters, that the average annual increase from 1850 to 1854 was from 1000 to 1100 a year. If we assume the larger number, the increase was at the rate of 60 ; but if we accept the former, which is probably more correct, the rate was only 54} for every thousand inhabitants. The births averaged 572 a year from 1845 to IS50, or about 41 for every thousand inhabitants ; and from 1850 to 1854 they averaged 687 a year, or about 37J for every thousand inhabitants. The deaths from all causes, for the three years and eight months from May 1st, 1846, to Jan. 1st, 1850, averaged 403 a year, or 28-} for every thousand inhabitants ; and for the four years from 1850 to 1854, they averaged 338 a year, or 18V for every thousand inhabitants. The deaths from consumption from May, 1846, to Jan. 1850, averaged 64 a year, or 4.1 for every thousand inhabitants, and 1 in 6.289 of all deaths. During the last four years, from 1850 to 1854, the deaths from consumption have again averaged 64 a year, or 3} for every thousand in- habitants ; and 1 in 5.264 of the deaths from all causes. These statements may be condensed into the following tables. Years. Whole increase 1 Increase for every in a year. 1000 Inhabitants. Births. Yearly Average. Births lor every 1000 inhabitants. 1845—1850 1850—1854 875 | 62.i 1 1000 54-i 572 687 41 37£ fears. Deaths. Yearly average |] caus< s. for every 1000 [nhabitants. (Consumption. Average yearly deaths. Ratio In the deaths from :il! causes. < !onsumpl ion. n.-Mil^ foi evei | 1000 inhabitants. 1845—1850 1850—1854 403 .338 h 18d 64 64 1 in 6.289 1 in 5.264 4.S90 3.493 During the ten years from 1340 to 1850, the population of Roxbury doubled, having been 9089 by the census of the former, and 18,373 by that of the latter year. Such a rate of increase could not be expected to continue, and the following tables show that it has not. In the last four years it has fallen from 62} to 54} for every thousand inhabitants. Now the deaths from consumption, to have followed the same rate of decrease, should have fallen from 4.590 to 3.920, but they actually fell to 3.493, in every thousand inhabitants. This is a gain of .427.