This being diametrically opposed to our student's idea, he
endeavoured to demonstrate the fallacy of the actuary's opinion. He read
up and sifted numerous statistical documents,--Blue Books, life-tables,
and population-tables. He bored his way through the cumbrous pile, and
brought an accumulation of facts from the most unlooked-for quarters,
for the purpose of illustrating his idea, and elucidating his
master-thought.
The result was published in the _Westminster Review_ for April, 1828.
Mr. Chadwick demonstrated, by an immense array of facts and arguments,
that the circumstances which surround human beings _must_ have an
influence upon their health; that health _must_ improve with an
improvement of these circumstances; that many of the diseases and
conditions unfavourable to human life were under man's control, and
capable of being removed; that the practice of vaccination, the
diminution of hard drinking amongst the middle and upper classes, the
increase of habits of cleanliness, the improvements in medical science,
and the better construction of streets and houses, _must_, according to
all medical and popular experience, have contributed, _a priori_, to
lengthen life; and these he proved by a citation of facts from numerous
authentic sources. In short, Mr. Morgan was wrong. The "expectancy of
life," as is now universally admitted, has improved and is rapidly
improving amongst the better classes; but it was never thoroughly
demonstrated until Edwin Chadwick undertook the discussion of the
question.
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