The figures in the preceding paragraph are of course merely the rudest approximations, but they serve to convey an idea of the extreme complexity of the problem of determining relative tendencies toward pauperism, and illustrate the utter worthlessness of the ordinary hit-and-miss comparisons which are made. The Immigration Commission also made a study of the patients admitted to Bellevue and Allied Hospitals for the seven months period August 1, 1908, to February 28, 1909. The total number of charity patients or cases was 23,758. Of these 18.5 per cent were native-born of native father (2.5 per cent negro), 28.5 per cent native-born of foreign father, and 52.3 per cent foreign-born. The Irish foreign-born are far in the lead, having approximately one fifth of all the cases treated. If we add the Irish native-born of foreign father, we have over one third of the total. In regard to the length of residence in the United States, the two danger periods noted above are well marked, as the following figures show: PER CENT OF FOREIGN-BORN PATIENTS ACCORDING TO LENGTH OF RESIDENCE IN THE UNITED STATES ════════╤════════════╤════════════╤════════════╤════════════╤════════════ │ UNDER 5 │ 5 TO 9 │ 10 TO 14 │ 15 TO 19 │ 20 OR OVER │ YEARS │ │ │ │ ────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼────────────┼──────────── Per cent│ 28.0│ 14.2│ 8.9│ 10.8│ 38.1 ════════╧════════════╧════════════╧════════════╧════════════╧════════════ The same distinction appears here between the old and new immigrants that we should expect—a high percentage for the old immigrants in the group over twenty, and a high percentage for the new immigrants in the group under five.