Editorial

Abstract

There has been a heartening increase of discussion recently in medical and other literature, about the “side-effects” of industrial and medical progress and expansion — namely pollution and over-population. It is particularly good to see the medical profession ruminate a little less, and start to call for and take action over the population problem.

Most people, including the Government, tend to feel over-population is a problem mainly confined to the “underdeveloped” countries. It is certainly true that from sheer weight of numbers their problem is that much greater: also, because 40-45%, of their population are under 15 years, their populations will continue to rise for some forty years after the fertility level has fallen to the replacement level. But Britain must nonetheless do her share towards population stability, not only for the world ’s sake but also for her own. We, the U.K., are the eighth most densely populated country; England and Wales alone would be second only to Formosa; and currently births are exceeding deaths by 300,000 every year.