9. As to the plentiful and easy living of the people we say,
(a.) That the people of Paris to those of London, being as about 6
to 7, and the housing of the same as about 6 to 9, we infer that the
people do not live at London so close and crowded as at Paris, but
can afford themselves more room and liberty.
(b.) That at London the hospitals are better and more desirable than
those of Paris, for that in the best at Paris there die two out of
fifteen, whereas at London there die out of the worst scarce 2 out
of 16, and yet but a fiftieth part of the whole die out of the
hospitals at London, and two-fifths, or twenty times that proportion
die out of the Paris hospitals which are of the same kind; that is
to say, the number of those at London, who choose to lie sick in
hospitals rather than in their own houses, are to the like people of
Paris as one to twenty; which shows the greater poverty or want of
means in the people of Paris than those of London.
(c.) We infer from the premises, viz., the dying scarce two of
sixteen out of the London hospitals, and about two of fifteen in the
best of Paris, to say nothing of L'Hotel Dieu, that either the
physicians and chirurgeons of London are better than those of Paris,
or that the air of London is more wholesome.
10. As for the other great cities of the world, if Paris were the
greatest we need say no more in behalf of London. As for Pekin in
China, we have no account fit to reason upon; nor is there anything
in the description of the two late voyages of the Chinese emperor
from that city into East and West Tartary, in the years 1682 and
1683, which can make us recant what we have said concerning London.
Pages:
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64