From this vantage-ground we gather the fact, that onward with the simple progress of true civilisation the value of life has increased.  Ere yet the words ‘Sanitary Science’ had been written; ere yet the heralds of that science (some of whom, in the persons of our illustrious colleagues, Edwin Chadwick and William Fair, are with us in this place at this moment), ere yet these heralds had summoned the world to answer for its profligacy of life, the health and strength of mankind was undergoing improvement.  One or two striking facts must be sufficient in the brief space at my disposal to demonstrate this truth.  In England, from 1790 to 1810, Heberden calculated that the general mortality diminished one-fourth.  In France, during the same period, the same favourable returns were made.  The deaths in France, Berard calculated, were 1 in 30 in the year 1780, and during the eight years, from 1817 to 1828, 1 in 40, or a fourth less.  In 1780, out of 100 new-born infants, in France, 50 died in the two first years; in the later period, extending from the time of the census that was taken in 1817 to 1827, only 38 of the same age died, an augmentation of infant life equal to 25 per cent.  In 1780 as many as 55 per cent. died before reaching the age of ten years; in the later period 43, or about a fifth less.  In 1780 only 21 persons per cent. attained the age of 50 years; in the later period 32, or eleven more, reached that term.  In 1780 but 15 persons per cent, arrived at 60 years; in the later period 24 arrived at that age.

Side by side with these facts of the statist we detect other facts which show that in the progress of civilisation the actual organic strength and build of the man and woman increases.  As in the highest developments of the fine arts the sculptor and painter place before us the finest imaginative types of strength, grace, and beauty, so the silent artist, civilisation, approaches nearer and nearer to perfection, and by evolution of form and mind developes what is practically a new order of physical and mental build.  Peron,—­who first used, if he did not invent, the little instrument, the dynamometer, or muscular-strength measurer,—­subjected persons of different stages of civilisation to the test of his gauge, and discovered that the strength of the limbs of the natives of Van Diemen’s Land and New Holland was as 50 degrees of power, while that of the Frenchmen was 69, and of the Englishmen 71.  The same order of facts are maintained in respect to the size of body.  The stalwart Englishman of to-day can neither get into the armour nor be placed in the sarcophagus of those sons of men who were accounted the heroes of the infantile life of the human world.