to 1879, were not quite so low as in 1845-1850, as is seen by the following table taken from the London “Economist”—2,200 indicating the price of a given number of articles in 1845-1850, as the basis of the table with which the prices of other years are compared:
| Year. | Index numbers. |
|---|---|
| 1845-1850 | 2,200 |
| 1857, July 1 | 2,996 |
| 1858, January 1 | 2,612 |
| 1865 | 3,575 |
| 1866 | 3,564 |
| 1867 | 3,024 |
| 1868 | 2,682 |
| 1869 | 2,666 |
| 1870 | 2,689 |
| 1871 | 2,590 |
| 1872 | 2,835 |
| 1873 | 2,947 |
| 1874 (Depression) | 2,891 |
| 1875 (Depression) | 2,778 |
| 1876 (Depression) | 2,711 |
| 1877 (Depression) | 2,723 |
| 1878 (Depression) | 2,529 |
| 1879 (Depression) | 2,202 |
| 1880 | 2,538 |
| 1881 | 2,376 |
| 1882 | 2,435 |
| 1883 | 2,343 |
But the progress of society, particularly in