1 in 16
Calcutta, 1822 to 1836................ Western Hindus died....'
“ Bengal Hindus................
“ - Low Castes..................
“ Mugs.................................
Bombay, 1815...... ..... ..................... Europeans....,............................................. 1 “ 18.5
I “ Mussulmans....,.,, ........... 1 “ 17.5
» “................................ Parsees....................................................... 1 “ 40
Guadaloupe, 1811 to 1824........... Whites ...... ....................................... 1 ■< 22
“ ..............Free men of-color ...,................................. 1 “ 35
Martinique, 1825....,...... . Whites ....... .................. .................... 1 ■■ 24
■ “ ¡M ' Free men of color.,, ......................... 1 “ 23
Granada, 1815 Slaves., ......, , , .................................. . 1 “ 22
In Saint Lncia, 1802,,,...,,............ Slayes......................................................... 1 . “ 20
“ The comparatively low degree of mortality among the free men of color, in the West
Indies, and the Javanese and Parsees, in countries where those races are either the original
inhabitants, or have become naturalized by an abftde of some centuries, is remarkable, in
the preceding table. It would seem that such persons are exempted, in a great measure,
from the influence of morbific causes, which destroy Europeans and other foreigners.
That the rale of mortality should be lower among them than in the southern parts of Europe, is
a fact which, in the present state of our knowledge, it is difficult to explain." 16
It appears, from these tables, which are corroborated by all
subsequent statistics of the above-named countries, as well as those
of the United States, that the whites show the greatest average
duration of life in temperate latitudes. Russia, it seems, gives a
higher rate of mortality than any cold climate short of the Arctic
(of which we want statistics); and why the great difference of mortality
in several of these countries, differing apparently so little in
climate, it is impossible, in the present state of knowledge, to determine.
It is, probably, in many instances, attributable to habits and
social condition. In Russia, where the mortality is so great, it
perhaps may be explained by a combination of causes—such as the
extreme rigor of the climate, the oppressed condition of the serfs,
their bad habits and improvidence, and last, though not least, the
immigration and interblending of races foreign to the climate. In
Norway, the mortality is put down at 1 in 54, or one-half that of
Russia.
The Germanic races we know to be among the most hardy'and
robust of the human family, by nature; and yet, as we see them
(mostly of the poorer classes), in our Southern States, they are, in
general, a squalid-looking people. I can assign no other cause than
their mode of life.—with which, in Germany, I am not familiar. Their
mode of sleeping, in America, is very destructive of health: they live
in confined rooms, and lie at night between two feather-beds, even in
our mild climate. It is impossible that any people ,can be healthy
with such customs; and if a strict scrutiny were made into the habits
16 “ Physical History of Mankind, I, pp. 116-17-18.
of many of the populations above-named, it is not improbable that
much of the discrepancy in their vital statistics would be explained
by condition and habits, skill of the medical profession, &c.17
When we come down to the Roman States, the mortality rises to
1 in 28J which is easily explained : there begin the malarial climates :
and we shall see that the mortality among whites increases onwards
to the Tropics. But Prichard makes one fundamental mistake : he
never stops to ask a question about the adaptation of race to climate,
but follows out his foregone conclusion, and goes on to show that,
“in approaching the equator, thè mortality increases, and the average
duration of life consequently diminishes ;” illustrating it by
the second table, beginning with Batavia. He is much embarrassed
to account for the “ low degree of mortality among the free
men of color in the West Indies, the Javanesè and Parsees;” and
for a reason why “ the rate of mortality should be lower among
them, than in the southern parts of Europe” ?
Now, the reason is obvious: the blacks, Parsees, and Javanese,
are all autochthons of hot climates, and were created to suit the
conditions in which they have been placed, as well as all similar
ones. The Parsees, like the Jews, were from a warm latitude originally,
and soon become acclimated; but the Anglo-Saxon, and
kindred races, never thrive and never will prosper in such climates.
Even in Italy, the white races die, when a negro might live, or a
coolie would flourish. The same remarks apply to the Chinese, the
Mahomedans, Moguls, and Arabs, in the last table : all are from hot
climates, and prosper in Calcutta.
The greater mortality among the Hindus, compared with the
Mussulmans, is accounted for by the fact that Hindus of Calcutta
consist of families including a large proportion of infant life. The
same circumstance explains the mortality of the Portuguese, who
are also a wretched and suffering class.18 The French (but 160) are
included with 3181 Portuguese .; and the statement is worth nothing,
so far as the former are concerned.
“ The native troops on the Bengal establishment,” says Ca p t a in H e n d e r s o n f Asiatic
Researches, vol. 20, part I.), “ are particularly healthy, under ordinary circumstances.
“ It has been found, by a late inquiry, embracing a'period of five years, that only one
man is reported to have died per annum, out of every hundred and thirty-one of the actual
■ While -writing this, I meet with a very intelligent Prussian gentleman, who informs me
that this mode of sleeping between feather-beds is common throughout the Germanic States,
as well as in Russia, among the peasantry, and,middle and lower classes generally. Such
manner of sleeping precludes the possibility of regulating the covering to temperature.
The system must be often greatly and injuriously overheated, and rendered more susceptible
to the intense cold of their own climates, when exposed.
18 J o hn son & M a r t in ' s “ Influence of Tropical Climates " London, 1841, p. 50.