1 year 230? 170?
1 to 5 years 58.2 28
15 to 20 " 9.1 6
30 to 40 " 13.6 10
60 to 70 " 51.2 41

The English statistics indicate a slight and by no means constant
tendency towards a diminution of the difference between town and rural
mortality, due no doubt to improvements in city sanitation and to some
general elevation of the physical environment and standard of living
among a large section of the working classes. The same slight tendency
is visible in France. During the period 1861-65 the urban death-rate
was 26.1, as compared with 21.5, the rural death-rate; during the
period 1878-82 the rates were respectively 24.3 and 20.9.[279]

Such indications of hygienic progress in our towns are not, however,
sufficient to justify any expectation that the life of industrial
towns will be made as healthy as that of the country. It is not
possible to ignore the fatal significance of the continuous flow of an
increasing proportion of the younger, healthier, and more vigorous
part of the country population into town life. Dr. Ogle, who has
collected much evidence upon this subject, sums up as follows:--"The
combined effect of this constantly higher mortality of the towns, and
of the constant immigration into it of the pick of the rural
population, must clearly be a gradual deterioration of the whole,
inasmuch as the more energetic and vigorous members of the community
are consumed more rapidly than the rest of the population. The system
is one which leads to the survival of the unfittest."

Sec. 5. Not only is life on an average of shorter duration in the towns,
but it is of inferior physical quality while it lasts. The lowering of
the townsman's physique not merely renders him less able to resist
definite assaults of disease but injures his general capacity of work
and enjoyment. This progressive deterioration of physique accounts for
the unceasing flow of fresh country blood into the towns. In spite of
the advantage of possession and knowledge of the town, the townsman
cannot hold his own in the competition for town work; the new-comer
jostles the old-comer from the best posts, and drives him to depend
upon inferior and more precarious occupations for a living. Economic
conditions, acquired social tastes, and impaired powers of physical
labour prevent the feeble town blood from flowing back into the
country to recruit its vigour. Hence