Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-06-12

distinguishing the several classes Of population fol-
lows:
Whites Free cold. Slaves.
Deaf and dumb. lS5 30 ~
Blind....... ......"...l93 IL 43
insane o. "a
ldiouc % ~
Iotai........ zlz loZ
These figures seem to indicate very clearly the extent
of demand for ameoration and medical assistance and
is consoaory to realize the of service which the
wel-drected efforts Of single individual accomplish
In benevolent cause illustrated in the recent action
Of the Maryland But the returns themselves
not sufficiently explicit perhaps for drawing definite
conclusions upon the philosophy Of these peculiar forms
OF disease although they are much particular than
however the more willingly since they relate to classes
OF unfortunate persons the misery Of whose condition in
many respects has been by skill and perseverance sue
cessfuy alevated and the asyums for whose systema
tic treatment constantly increasing and rank among
the brightest ornaments of modern benevolence.
Passing various other statistics Of interest the
details Of which will be found length in the official re-
port upon the census Of Maryland submitted for the
ton OF Congress- let for moment glance the analogy
of the vital statistics to the indications afforded by the
physical features of the State.
Like other Atlantic States south of the Hudson the
surface Of Maryland presents threefold aspect First
the low lands bordering upon the ocean, and penetrated
far inland by the Chesapeake which divides it into what
named the Eastern Shore and in part the Western
Shore; secondly, the billy and unduating tract beyond
in which are the springs and fountains of rivers and,
thirdly the mountainous region crossed by parallel ridges
OF the Appalachian chain, in the western part Of the
State.
The eastern shore of Maryland and portion of the
western is described low, sandy plain much inter-
sected by creeks and occasionally sagnant water and
the inhabitants in other parts of the great Atlantic
plain are at times subject in autumn to agueand inter-
mittent fevers which, however, readily yield to medical
treatment. But with this apparent exception, which
would not probably appear in Analysing the actual
tally, the remainder of the State, comprising all the
even country abounds with springs of excellent water,
md ima 10 lubr
brief notes appended the schedules by the
shas convey to the mind images of diversified and often
picturesque scenery associations of physical comfort
and longevity of the inhabitants Indeed lying south OF
the parallel of forty degrees of latitude Maryland enjoys
an intermediate position between the wintry severity of
the northern and the tropical heats the southern regions
into which the Atlantic States have been divided with
spect to climate.
Antecedenty to all statistics therefore many natural
indications rendered probable that favorable standard
of life would prevail in this State In the appendix
the before by direct comparison Of the
expectations Of life with those of European countries,
this is demonstrated statistical grounds to be the fact
For more full view of the laws Of life for the white
population we beg leave to refer the reader to that
port While atribung higher Importance to statistics
of population since it is the chief element of national
power yet estimate of great value those investigations
which result in the detection of the which abrdge
life and inform Of the to lengthen its span and
thus add to national wealth and individual happiness.
Let us to the life tables of the Stare poula-
on of Maryland which have been completed subsequent
to the printing Of the quarto report We have found this
comparatively and unexplored field the present
table being the first Of its kind this country prepared
from sufficient data.
As will presently be seen these results likewise point
to very favorable standard of life, which appears the
reasonable since of the slaves located in
the healthy agricultural counties of the State and engaged
In regular employmens The African race in daily
tact with the highest civilization of the superior race has
undoubtedly made great progress during century past
The coored emigrant returning to Africa finds himself
mmeasuraby superior to the native inhabitants Of the
land of his ancestors This advance will appear the
striking and important when the historical fact is
sidered that progress in civilization has always been slow
the inertia OF the being overcome only by gradual
and gcontnued Efforts And we doubt that the
severe training Of the negro in America the philosophers
OF future ages may trace back the eneraon of Africa
The analysis Of the Maryland returns has been
Quoted through the medium of fe-tables, the
eligible mode OF avoiding the which hasy and
researches on this subject extremely liable
Mr. Farr whose able investigations in the reports Of the
English Registrar not unknown in this country very
justly observes The applications and of national
fe-tables are almost innumerabe Without intimate
knowledge Of their properties it impossible to deter
mine the laws OF population, to upon such
matters without falling into great errors Of which, it
were not nvidous too many instances might be cited
from current works on population and public health"
besides MI FAIRS researches the true method Of nves
gatng vital statistics has for more than centuries
been perfectng by the successive abors Of Haley De-
movre Price, Gompertz Milne, and other eminent actu
aries The strict analysis of the proper data is found to
be long and complicated but the most important results
when obtained are simple and easily understood by
those who have not previously given attention to life
contingencies.
OF the several forms Of feabes no one more simple
or more interesting to society than the expectations of e
and with eptome of those deduced from the Maryland
returns shall close the present article BY expecta-
ton Of life is understood the future lifetime which
person may be expected to live, average after
given present age In other words it expresses the
accurate statistical estimate Of the future length life
Let the inquiry be made, how long person aged
twenty may be expected to vef In reply If the person
be such the generality of the white inhabitants Of
Maryland, his average future length Of life will be, by
the annexed table, 42.19 years, small fraction
42years longer But slave aged twenty may be expect
ed to live forty years and fraction longer If male and
forty years and somewhat larger fraction Of year IL
female.
At the age Of fifty, the expectation Of life for white
males and females collectively is twenty-five years and
upwards; which is very nearly arithmetica mean be-
tween the values for male and female slaves Mt that age
The fact will be observed, doubt with interest that
throughout nearly all the ages females have greater
pectatioR Of life than males
On arriving ut the age Of eighty the expected future
life time has decreased to little more than seven years
longer for white persons and upwards Of six and
years respectively for the slave population follows:
Expectations of life Maryland expressed in years and de-
ciaais Of year
White Male Female Precise White Female