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A recent study made by Dr. John Tatham illustrates the excessively dangerous character of dusty occupations.

As compared with the mortality figures for twenty-three occupations, that of the farmer stands the lowest, assuming the mortality of agriculturists to be one hundred, the ratio of mortality of all the other occupations is shown. As compared with farmers, the mortality in the first seven occupations -- pottery-makers, cutlers, file-makers, glass-makers, copper-workers, gunsmiths, and iron and steel manufacturers -- is from three to four and a half times as great, and twelve others more than twice as great. The high rate from certain diseases is shown in columns 3 and 4.

The effect of inhaling foul air and of a constrained position is shown in Table XXVI. in the high mortality figures of certain occupations as compared with agriculture.

TABLE XXV. (107) CERTAIN DUSTY OCCUPATIONS.
Comparative Mortality from Specified Causes.

But the entire story regarding the degenerative influences brought to bear upon the weaker classes of the community is not brought out by the study of occupational mortality, but of class mortality. In occupational mortality we deal only with the diseases and deaths of adults, whereas in class mortality we deal also with the diseases and deaths of minors and of incapable members of the families. Ansell shows that out of 100,000 children born in the upper classes, nearly 10,000 more will reach the age of fifteen than in the population at large. (108) For our purpose perhaps the most convenient class-mortality statistics are those prepared by Dr. Grimsllaw, Registrar-General of Ireland, giving the experience in Dublin for the four years 1883 to 1886. (109) The death rates per 1000 for children under five years of age were found to be, in the professional class, 20.52; middle, 58.25; artisan class, 69.05; general service and pauper class, 108.73. The death-rates were such as to give a specially high percentage of persons under fifteen in the second and third classes, and the death-rate of children under five years of age is so excessive in the last-named class that the percentage of persons under fifteen was there not up to the average. Thus pressure is brought to bear upon the poor, and especially upon the artisan class, in a fourfold way. First, the number under fifteen years of age, and therefore of non-producers, is relatively high; second, the expense of a disproportionately large number of deaths is imposed upon the poor; third, the amount of sickness is disproportionately large; and, fourth, the number of births is larger than in the upper classes. The effect these influences will have upon a population of 1000 in each class appears in Table XXVII. (110)

(109) British Medical Journal, vol. ii., 1887, p. 241.

(110) British Medical Journal, vol. ii., 1887, p. 241.

TABLE XXVI. (111)
Certain unhealthful occupations.
Comparative Mortality from Several Causes.

TABLE XXVII. Burdens and burden-bearing power of 1000 persons in various classes, population of Dublin (1883-1886).

By "effective health," as used in the table, is meant the health of persons fifteen years of age or over; that is, of persons capable of doing something for their own support, and possibly for the care of relatives. It seems that in Class I. there will be one year of sickness to 24.5 of effective health; in Class II. one to 12.6; in Class III. one to 14; and in Class IV. one to 8.8. Thus we have some explanation of how the high death-rate among the unfortunate classes operates to impose burdens that crush them.