THE very interesting and suggestive lecture of Alexander Buchan on “The Weather and Health of London” (NATURE, vol. xxiv. p. 143 et seq.) reminds me of the propriety of calling the attention of writers on “vital statistics” to a point in relation to the true method of discussing the mortuary data. The specific point to which attention is drawn is the necessity of estimating the relative tendency to special diseases by comparing the number of deaths from the given cause with the number of persons living at the ages embraced in the record; instead of making the comparison (as is usually done) with the total deaths from all causes, or with the total number living at all ages.

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1. Berkeley, California, July 7

   • JOHN LE CONTE

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DOI

https://doi.org/10.1038/024357a0

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