"The nineteenth century was not one of runaway health progress, but it marked a deep transformation of mortality conditions [in France].  The reconstitution of mortality tables by single years of age and calendar years makes it possible to study this transformation in detail, and to distinguish between period fluctuations and structural changes.  In the present article, we have given preference to graphic representation, and purposely limited the statistics.... We have also given preference to the period approach."  Consideration is given to annual mortality trends, life expectancy, age-specific probability of dying, the war-related crisis years of 1813, 1871, and 1915, and differentials in mortality by sex.  Data generally concern the period 1806-1898.