IS SICKNESS INCREASING IN THIS COUNTRY?
ETo THZ EDITOR OP THE " SPECTATOH."] Sin,—It is possible that the observations of the Times and your own (Spectator, November 12th) on the health of boys may have reference to one side only of the larger question which I have taken as a text for this letter. In a most valuable little book recently published on " Provident Societies and Industrial Welfare," the present Chief Registrar of Friendly Societies points out the remarkable fact that the observations on sickness and mortality by the late Mr. Sutton for the Friendly Societies' Registry Office, extending over a larger area than any yet made, and giving the experience of 4,480,809 years of life, show, as compared with previous observations, "an increased liability to sickness." "Whether this arises," the Chief Registrar goes on to say, "from the fact that sickness claims are actually increasing, or that previous observations consisted mainly of societies which had had a favourable experience, or from some other cause, it is not easy to determine." If I am not mistaken, however, the
experience of the Manchester Unity of Oddfellows is to the same effect. But, if we take into account the fact of the increasing duration of life in this country, does not this really suggest the solution of both puzzles, of the increased sickli- ness of boys and of the increase of sickness generally? Feeble lives are now preserved, which formerly would have been crushed out. Sickly children, who would have died in the cradle, grow up weakly boys. Our better sanitation, it would seem, can by this time lengthen life, but cannot so far
restore it to vigour.—I am, Sir, Sze., J. M. LUDLOW.
Previous page
