number less, in the thousand annually. I believe Mr. Chadwick to be
correct to the letter in this statement, and for that reason I have
projected a city that shall show the lowest mortality. I need not say
that no such city exists, and you must pardon me for drawing upon your
imaginations as I describe it. Depicting nothing whatever but what is
at this present moment easily possible, I shall strive to bring
into ready and agreeable view a community not abundantly favoured
by natural resources, which, under the direction of the scientific
knowledge acquired in the past two generations, has attained a
vitality not perfectly natural, but approaching to that standard. In
an artistic sense it would have been better to have chosen a small
town or large village than a city for my description; but as the great
mortality of States is resident in cities, it is practically better
to take the larger and less favoured community. If cities could be
transformed, the rest would follow.

Our city, which may be named _Hygeia_, has the advantage of being
a new foundation, but it is so built that existing cities might be
largely modelled upon it.

The population of the city may be placed at 100,000, living in 20,000
houses, built on 4,000 acres of land,--an average of 25 persons to
an acre. This may be considered a large population for the space
occupied, but, since the effect of density on vitality tells only
determinately when it reaches a certain extreme degree, as in
Liverpool and Glasgow, the estimate may be ventured.

The safety of the population of the city is provided for against
density by the character of the houses, which ensures an equal
distribution of the population. Tall houses overshadowing the streets,