Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-07-25
Marriage and Long LIZ.

From the Philadelphia Ledger, 26th.
Statistics, moraltes and sentiment
have all been brought forward In discuss
ing the question as to the comparative
health, happiness and duration of life to
the married and unmarried. The ver-
dict must be considered as given in favor
of the married; but with reservation
that the advantages are not equally en-
joyed by the two sexes. AS far as re-
CARDS the people of Scotland, the ques-
ton seems to be conclusively answered
in paper read some months ago by DR..
James Stark, before the Royal Society of
Edinburgh. He begins by the remark,
that nine years average of the deaths
in Scotland shows higher ratio of deaths
among the males than among females at
all ages, except in the early period of life,
from ten to fifteen years.
A more important inquiry, however, is
the effect of marriage on male and fe-
male life. An interesting answer to this
question is brought by table prepared
by DIR. Stark. 1t shows that at every
age, from 20 to S5 years, the death rate
of the married men is very much smaller
than that of the unmarried. After the
S0th year fife, the numbers are too small
to Justify any comparison. 1t appears
from this table that out of 100000 un-
married men between 20 and 25 years of
age, la died during the year 1885, but
that out of a like number of married men,
only 597 died, or just half the number
In other words, between the age of 20 and
% years, the death rate of the bachelors
was exactly double that of the married
men.
AS the age increases, the difference be-
tween the death rates of the married and
unmarried decreases /; but the decrease
&c .1n nd ranulur GhnyVinn r1Z p0
difference in favor of the married men at
every five-year period Of life. Thus, at
the age of from 25 to 80 years, when the
number of married and unmarried men
in Scotland is nearly equal, of every 1OO,-
600 bachelors 1859 died during the year
but in an equal number of unmarried
men only S65 died. A similar difference
! though in less degree, is found in favor
of married men during every five-yeal
period, even to that between 80 and 81
! years of age. Here, then, we have the
remarkable fact, proved from the statis
tics ofa whole country, that the influence
of marriage on duration OF life OF the
male is of the most potent kind; that, IL
fact, the bachelor life is much more de
structive to the male sex than the mos
unwhoesome of trades, or than a resi-
dence i'm crowded locality where ther'
is not the most distant attempts at sani
tary arrangements of any kind. Reckon
ing from the twentieth year of life, thu
mean age at death of married men wa
59l years, whereas the mean age at deatl
of bachelors was only 40 years, shown,
change of l0R years longer life to TIN
formerover the latter of these two classes
In comparing the mortality of the mar
ried and unmarried women, it was fOun'
that the difference is trifling, for while
during the three periods of life, Is to u
20 to 25, and 25 to 80 years, the marrie'
died in higher proportion, it was TIL
reverse during the next two periods
life, or from 80 to 3d. and from 30 to 4
years, during period in which nearl
half of their children are born From
the 45th year oflife to old age, or 10 years
married women died in smaller proper
tions than the unmarried.
We leave it to the thoughtful reader
Judge how far an explanation of the Ion
ger life of married men, as a class, ma
be explained by the growth of more regl
lar habits, the practice of greater thrii
and economy, and all the influences
homes of their own.