Bills of mortality / by William A. Brend.

  • Brend, William Alfred, 1873-
Date:
1908
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Bills of mortality / by William A. Brend. 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.

    13/20 (page 9)
    It must be noticed that the record is of christenings, not births; hence the figures do not include the births of Quakers, Dissenters, Jews, Koman Catholics, etc. Even those who were “ half- christened ”—i.e., without sponsors—were not included, and Graunt mentions that many persons failed to notify a birth, chiefly for the reason that a small fee had to be paid. Captain Graunt was well aware of the inaccuracy of the Bills, but did not consider that his observations were vitiated thereby. He says, for instance: “ In cafe a man of feventy-five years old died of a cough (of which, had he been free, he might poffibly have lived to ninety) I efteem it little errour (as to many of our purpofes) if this Perfon be in the Table of Gafualties, reckoned among the Aged, and not placed under the Title of Coughs” And again, “if one died fuddenly, the matter is not great whether it be reported in the Bills, Suddenly, Apoplexy, or Planet-ftrucJcen, etc.” lie accord- ingly made a thorough analysis of the Bills which were at his disposal, and many of his deductions are in agreement with modern knowledge. He estimates the population within the area of the Bills to be 384,000, among whom are 24,000 “ teeming ” women. He finds an excess of births of males over females in the proportion of fourteen to thirteen. He notes the higher mortality of males in the somewhat unhappily-chosen words “ Physicians have two Women Patients to one Man; and yet more Men die than Women.” He observes that after a visitation of the plague the population of the city is always restored Avithin tAvo years ; that 7 per cent, die of age ; that abortives and stillborn are to those that are christened as one to tAventy; that a disposition in the air toAvards the plague doth also dispose Avomen to abortions; that every wedding one with another produces four children; that in the country but about one of fifty dies yearly, but in London one of thiity over and above the plague; that London is not so healthful now as heretofore, Avhich may be due to the burning of sea-coal; and that the unhealthy season is Autumn. He deplores the seemingly small mortality from “French pox” (syphilis) in vieAV of the great frequency of the disease, as he fears that the publication of such figures is likely to encourage immorality, and “ forafmuch as it is not good to let the World be lulled into a fccurity and belief of