The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-05-28
MARRIAGE STATISTICS.
WIEN AND WHERE MEN AND WOMEN
MARRY MOST.

i
/ DR.. Bertil!on, a French physician,
has recently published work con
tanning the results Of his studies of
the comparative statistics of matri-
mony and celibacy, considered from
many points of view In estimating
the chances Of marriage he has
worked upon the plan Of comparison,
not by groops only, hut by groups
aud corresponding ages Of cclibates,
widows and widowers,, and divorced
persons at The same period of life.
He has. also spread his researches
over several countries, and begins
with Holland, where he seems to
have found the requisite figures
more accessible. In Holland, then,
men between the ages Of % and %
marry in the ratio of 46 to the 1000
per annum, while those who have al :,
ready become wi,owers at that age
marry again in the ratio of 2lS to
the 1000. Marriage by men is most
eager sought between the ages Of IS
and 35, the ratio then being ITO to
the 1000, and of the wiaowers be-
tween the same ages 327 to the 1000.
From the age Of IS the chances Of
marriage diminish, but those Of The
widowers always remain three or
-four times greater than those of the
celibates. Singularly enough, the
chances of divorced persons Tor re-
marriage are greater than either
\ From 80 TO SO their chances for mar
| rirge exceed those of celibates in the
ratio Of 1856 to 10, and continue to
increase very rapidly until the age
of IS, when they are six times great
er than those of celibates, and sur
J =
pass even those of widowers. The
records Of the parish registers of
Switzerland show similar results
The widowers there marry at any
age four times more frequently than
1.-THE celibates at tie same period of
life, and after the age Of AZ the
chance Of marriage of divorced per-
sons are even greater than those of
widowers.. Among women the same
: facts exist, although in a minor de-
gree. In Holland, from the age Of
lis to q tue chances of marriage for
| widows are double those of maidens.
From Is to 20 the marriages are
most numerous, but those of the
widows still remain the greater. Be-
tween the ages OF 80 to 55 the chan.
ces of divorced persons exceed even
those of widows, and are from two
to five times greater than those Of
maidens. These results are con-
tirmcd by q comparison with the re-
, gislers of Switzerland.
\ More generally speaking, lie says
that in France, Italy and Belgium,
the greatest frequency Of marriage
among men is from the age of 25 10
30 In England it is from 90 to SO.
! In Paris, however, the number Of
marriages only reaches its maxi
mum among those past 40, and
among women past Is, and this sur
passes that or the whole country.
In France, too, comparison be-
tween the ages of married couple
shows that the majority of women
past 80 take younger husbands than
! themselves; husbands Of 60 gener-
! ally choose wives Of 40.
/ When the man is IS, the wife is
six or seven years younger. Wom-
en- who marry mon of from 40 to 80
are generally about twelve years
younger than their husbands, and
twenty years younger thar a hus-
band Of 60. That is to say, the old
er the husband, the younger the
wife. The fecundity of marri-
ages is not far from double as
large in England as in France.
AS mortality, DR.. Bcrtillon says
that bachelor Of Is runs the same
risk Of death as married man of
45, and in fact for all ages celibacy
adds twenty years to mans life in
| the calculation of probable mortality,
and widoWliood even more. In Paris
| the registers show the following ratio
1of death rates 1871 for married men,
III for bachelors, and 80 for widow
(ers. Over the whole country the ra.
ito is as follows: Between the ages Of
|30 and 81, for married men 100,
bachelors 1859, widowers 2Sl. When
marriages are made under the age of
20, however, the mortality is in.
creased. The same observations
| hold good when applied to women,
From 40 to 45 years, 100 deaths of
married correspond to those of 13l
women. Under the age of IS marri-
$ age increases mortality, and in Bel
1 GUM more than in France, and in
i Holland more than Belgium. Wild
, owhood is injurious more to men
;, than to women, and this effect is
very obvious in Paris and Belgium.
By widowhood the probability OF
a. death trphlas with mon Tn polr;up,
Il and the whole of France the danger
continues until the age Of 40, and is
= greater as the Ri.lnwer IL ynttnor