Page:Transactions of the Provincial Medical and Surgical Association, volume 2.djvu/149



The proportion of sexes born in this district, as shown by Table V. is, as might be expected, nearly the same as in the rest of England. The greater proportion of females to males, alive at all ages, in this district, is readily accounted for by the influence of mining in diminishing the male population, as will be more fully explained hereafter.

Table VII. shows, in a striking manner, the great proportion of births in this district; and when compared with Table VI. seems to demonstrate the great prevalence of bastardy.

Of the Law of Mortality in the Landsend District, and more particularity of the relative Longevity of the inhabitants.

"The Hundred of Penwith," says Dr. Borlase, "has always been celebrated beyond other parts of Cornwall, for the long lives of its natives." If this be the case, arguing from the data furnished by the different writers on the county generally, the longevity of the inhabitants of this district must, indeed, be very uncommon. It is, however, necessary to remark that, in estimating the general longevity of the population of any place, we are not to be contented by adducing, as has been too often done, instances of extreme old age at different and perhaps distant periods. There is, perhaps, no country in the world, even including the most unhealthy, whose