The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1867-07-09
MARRIAGE AND LONG LIFE.

Statistics, mOralltleS and sentiment have all
been brought forward in discussing the question
to the comparative health, happiness AID
duration of life of the married and unmarried
The verdict must be considered as given in
favor of the married, but with a reservation that
the advantages are not equally enjoyed by the
two sexes. As far as regards the people of
Scotland, the question seems to be conclusively
answered 10 a paper read some months ago by
Dr. James Stark before the Royal Society of
Ediuburg. He begins by the remark, that a
niue years average of the deaths 10 Scotland
show higher ratio of death among males than
among females at all ages, except in the early
period of life, from ten to fifteen years.
more important inquiry, however, is the
effect OF marriage on male and female life. An
interesting answer to this question is brought by
table prepared by DR.. Stark. 1t shows that
at every age, from twenty to eigbty-fve years,
the death-rate of the married men is very much
smaller than that Of the unmarried. After the
eighty. fifth year of life, the numbers are too
small to justify any comparison. 1t appears
from this table that out of 100000 unmarried
men between twenty and twenty five years of
age, l, LAT died during the year 1868; but that
out of like humber of married men, only FIVE
hundred and ninety seven died, or just half the
number. 10 other words, between the age of
twenty and twenty five years the death-rate of
the bachelors was exactly double that of the
married men.
AS the age increases, the difference between
the death-rates of the married and unmarried
decreases; but the decrease is slow and regular,
showing a marked difference in favor of the
married men at every five year period of life
Thus at the age of from twenty five to thirty
years, when the number Of married and uomar-
ried men 10 Scotland is nearly equal, of every
5000 bachelors, 1869 died during the year;
but in equal number of unmarried men only
eight hundred and sxty-fve died. A similar
difference, though in less degree, is fouud in
favor Of married men during every 6vc-year
period, even to that between eighty and eighty
five years of age Here, then, We have the re-
markable fact, proved from the statistics of a
whole country, that the influence of marriage
on duration Of life of the male is of the most
potent kind; that, in fact, the bachelor life is
much more destructive to the male sex than the
most unwholesome of trades, or than a residence
IN crowded locality, where there is not the
most distant attempt at sanitary arrangements
OF any kind, Reckoning from the twentieth
year OF life, the mean age at death of married
men was fifty nine and half years, whereas the
mean age at death of bachelors was only forty
years, showing chance of nineteen and a-balf
years longer lie to the former over the latter OF
those two classes.
10 comparing the mortality of the married
and unmarried women, it was found that the
difference is triAing, while, during the three
periods of life, fifteen to twenty, twenty to twen-
ty FIVE and twenty-6v to thirty years, the mar
:ied died in q higher proportion, it was the re-
verse during the next two periods Of life, or from
thirty to thirty fve and thirty Eve to forty years,
during period in which nearly half of their
children are born. From the forty fifth year Of
life. to old age. or seventy five years, married
women die 10 smaller proportions than the un-
married
We leave it to the thoughtful reader to Judge
how far an explanation of the longer life of mar
ried men, as q class, may be explained by the
growth Of more regular habits, the practice of
greater thrift and economy, and oil the infu-
ences Of homes of their own.