Increase of Consumption in Ireland

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 11, 16 March 1905, Page 29

Increase of Consumption in Ireland

lpllJ tn ivf t t™"' ° f Tyrone, in a teurU ™ % < newspapers, published some startling figures legating the increase of consumption in Ireland are*o°n ?h a T ar that AVMIe deaths horn consmmptLu Z,Z I decrease . in England and Scotland, Irelapd's fiKiue snows an ominous increase. In 1870 the averaee number of deaths from consumption in every 10 000 of the population was 24 in England and Wales, while Ireo IroH S . I* I '/ II 9'9 '- Te ? years lator En S land had failed to n I J "/"l/isen to 2L In 1900 > when the English bme 5t i a ' len t0 H ' the Insh fi^ urc was a little i" \ , i ° nilng I<o a niore recent time - the figure in ••ru-land and Walos has now fallen to almost 12 and lornT 2 *%") 2H ' ° r nearl7 double - The ac * ua>l num. Ler of deaths from consumption in Ireland last year w'hn 7 \ 2 'V- •" j s a peculiar fact of «* «« tkat while tjie deaths in the eight principal towns of Ireland I'fnlf Vh' ° ' VSOV S0 per aßmfm to *he 10,000 of the population, the rate in similar Scotch towns is well below 29 it us clear also tJiat the increase in rural districts in Ireland is amazing. Mr. Brown attributes this to the unhealthy diet of the people, who have abandoned potatoes ar,d oatmeal for tea and white bread Another uvise iB the increase of creameries in Ireland, which has made it difficult to obtain the healthy old-fashioned J ut ff r " milk ilh&t formerly did s». much for the public ncaltih. Mr. Brown appeals for an awakened public interest on t/he subject, pointing out that the l t ives of the reo-nle are being neglected, while a Government Department and public enterprise are concerned about improving the breeds of hens and ducks— a laudable enough object in its way, but not to be compared with the importance of the people's health.