Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-06-07
From the Edn ,ugh Philosophical! Journal.
ON THE PROBABLE DURATION OF HUMAN

LIFE.
DR.. Casper, Of Berlin, in his valuable
work. entitled "Der Wahrscheinfche
Lebensdaur des Menschen," &C., 1885,
after having examined The current opinions
rs 10 the average duration of human life,
and as TO the most satisfactory metiod OF
ascertaining such result, announces his
own doctrine in the following proposition:
1.-The proportion of births OF the population
in any place expresses almost exactly the
medium or average duration ofllle there"
For example, suppose hat thIsPropor ion
is in the ratio Of l TO 80, Then the averag
life fthe inhabitants of the place viii be
found to be 80 years.
If this rule be correct, it must follow that
the duration Of life increases and din inlshes
IN population according as their fecundity
is greater or less SO that man, ii not as
an individual, at least as member OF The
mass, may be SAID to have il in his power
to lenglhen or abrid &c his life.
This, .iftrue, is indeed proposition OF
great importance in political economy.
To prove that the mortality is in direct
ratio with the fecundity Of any populatIo"
and, consequently, that governments, seeing
that the force Of states consists not SO much
on the mere number. as on the strength,
fecundy, and longevity Of their inhabitants
ought not to favor or encourage an over
abundant population, the author has COL
lec,ed vast number of facts, and for this
purpose has drawn up tables ofthe mortal.
y, not only in Prussia, but also in Britain,
France, and Belgium.
From these researches he comes to the
conclusion that every where the mortality
is directly proportional 20 the fccundty OF
the population.
This doctrine, if confirmed by future in.
ouiries, may, to certain extent, reconcile
the opinions of Malthus and his opponents,
as il shows as the Nature herself tends to
remedy the evil of redundant PoPula'
ton.
DR.. Casper gives valuable table Of the
mortality IN Berlin for twelve years, from
1917 10 1929. which compr ses nearly
10000 deaths 2,O00OO0 inhabitants.
The following are IL few Interesting data
which are derlvable from his researches
The longevity Of the female is greater
than that Of the male sex.
The age Of puberty carries off 8 per
centum more of the female than OF the male
sex.
The nroportion Of deaths Of women il;
labor is l in lOS.
II has been IN erroneous. although Erh.
erto very preva cnt nation. that the cL-
macterie age Of woman has marked
influence Increasing the mortality of the
female sex.
This opinion has been shown to be in.
correct by several statistical wrl ers, and
the researches of Dr.. Casper confirm the
accuracy of their statements. On Inc
whole. therefore, We may assert that the
longevity of the female is greater than that
of the male sex. .,
7, is also worthy Of notice that OF S 'Il'
horn infants there are more 1.-THE male than
ofrhe female sex.
Dr.. Casper proceeds 10 show that the
ncdium or average duration Of lille has
increased considerably in most European
cities oflate years. In London thIsincrease
is or,,t for i: would seem that, within the
last century, probabc life has Increased 0y
twenty years. ,c. .,,u,
AtGcneva, again, in tic 10Th century,
ms. half Of the inlanta bo:n there died, we