A comparative history of the increase and decrease of mankind in England, and several countries abroad ... To which is added, a syllabus of the general states of health, air, seasons, and food for the last three hundred years; and also a meteorological discourse / By Thomas Short, M.D.

  • Short, Thomas, 1690?-1772.
Date:
1767
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A comparative history of the increase and decrease of mankind in England, and several countries abroad ... To which is added, a syllabus of the general states of health, air, seasons, and food for the last three hundred years; and also a meteorological discourse / By Thomas Short, M.D. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    • 9 PREFACE. iii Period of Doubling is very fhort, and the Augmentation rapid. Afterward, the Period of Doubling is extended, till it gradually ceafeth; and is fucceeded with a Diminution flow at firft, but rapid at laft. The Period of patrial Maturity, as well as of patrial Doubling, doubtlefs in fome Meafure cor- refponds to the Nature of the Climate: The former, in the Climate of New-England, may have been about 1000 or 1200 Years; the latter, 20 or 25 Years. The Period of rapid patrial Doubling in 25 Years may reach it’s Akme in one Third of the Term requifite to the final Akme of In- creafe. The Ratio of patrial Doubling continues equable for 3 or 400 Years; when this Ratio, in Confequence of another Law of Nature, be¬ gins at once to be greatly extended. Pofterity alone can more accurately afeertain thefe Things. If we look into Hiftory, we may perhaps be in¬ clined to judge the Period of patrial Maturity about 800 or 1000 Years, perhaps more than lefs. The 70 Souls, which fprang from Jacob's Loins, when tranfplanted into Egypt, grew and multiplied, in about 215 Years, to 603,550 fenfible Men of 20 Years old and upwards, exclufive of the Levites: Which, confidering the young Men under 20 Years, may imply above 3,000,000 Souls, an Increafe on 70 Souls only in 215 Years. It is true, this public Cenfus was made above a Year after the Exodus; but we are given to underftand, that there was no Increafe in the Wildernefs, This is an unparalleled Increafe, the Period of doubling being about 14 Years. « New-England has advanced 120 Years in rapid Increafe, the Term of Doubling being 20, or, according to Dr. Franklin, 25 Years. As this is much flower than the Increafe of Ifrael, the Period of rapid Increafe, as diftinguiflied from the ultimate Period of patrial Increafe, may be longer in the Proportion of 14 to 25, or a Ratio formed of thefe Numbers. If Ifrael reached the firft in 215 Years, we may reach it in 384; of which 120 being already elapfed this prefent Year 1760, above 160 Years of ra¬ pid Increafe yet remain; by which Time, thro’ the Bleffing of Heaven* we in the Province of New-England may become many Millions. “ The Increafe of the maritime Towns is not equal to that of the inland ones. Tho’ the Period of Doubling for the whole Colony is 25 Years, now that the maritime Towns make fo great a Proportion of the Inhabi¬ tants, yet the Period is different for different Parts of the Colony. While -on the Sea-Coaft it is above 25 Years, yet within Land it is 20 and 15. «« In the four Governments of New-England are about 530 congrega¬ tional Churches. In 1650 there were about 36 Churches. In 1696 there were but 130. And being, A. D. 1760, increafed to 530, the Propor¬ tion of Doubling is once in 30 Years. “ Four