THE DEATH-RATE.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR."] your paragraph on this subject in the "News of the Week" in the Spectator of January 13th there appears to be a serious mistake. The death-rate of London for the week ended the 6th inst. was at the rate of 371 per thousand per annum, not per week. You say :—" In some of the provincial towns the death-rate has nearly touched 50 per thousand per week." "Per week" must evidently be a slip for "per annum," for at the rate of 50 per 1,000 per week the entire population would die in twenty weeks. In the particulars which I have before me I find that for the same week ended on the 6th inst. the death-rate in Dublin was 50, in Brighton 45, and in Preston 42 per thousand per annum. These are the highest death-rates that I find in the list which I have.---. I am, Sir, &e., Bowdon.
CHAS. W. PIDDUCK.
[Our correspondent is, of course, perfectly right as to our foolish slip in the matter of the death-rate. The statistical Puck is a very alert imp.—ED. Spectator.]
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