Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-06-13
Longevity increasing.
the London Spactafor


Longevity Increasing.
From the London Spectator.
N. A. Humphreys, In his recent paper on the
decrease Of mortality, read before the Statisti-
cal society, has done considerable service to
the public With infinite care and painstaking,
he has brought a mass Of floating and vague
opinion upon the subject Of English health to
the test Of accurate statistics, and has told us
exactly what modern hygiene has and has not
done for Englishmen. Mr. Humphreys. who has
even drawn up new life table to compare with
DR. Fairs, shows that eyer since 1879, when the
first public health act was passed, the longevity
OF the English people has sensbly increased.
Whether from the operation of that act, or from
an unobserved change in the ways of the people
akin to the development of temperance now
going on, or from one of those alterations In the
virulence ofdisease which have repeatedly occur
red in history, the mortality from epidemic dis
eases suddenly declined; till the mean mortality
in England, which between 1888 and 1854 had
been 22.5 per thousand, dropped In 1S76-8O to IS.
and is dropping still, the mean death rate OF
1881 3 being 1873 total improvement Of very
nearly one-seventh. This Increased longevity
the sexes. Owing to causes which are still only
partially ascertaned, but which probably have
some relation to the extra liability of women
during the child-bearing period of life, females
and the total progress effected may be broadly
stated thus Men live two years longer than
they did 80 years ago, and women three years
and four months longer, difference, we need
human life. It is equivalent, If with Nj Hum
phreys we take 40 years to be, roughly speak
Ing, the usual term of life, to an Improvement
Of per cent, and would in q generation leave
country of 80 ,000, 600 with 1000 900 morepeople
in it than it otherwise would have had. A pop
ulation greater than that of Denmark would
have been saved from perishing. Whether that
addition to numbers is good must Of course
depend upon multiplicity Of conditions. OF
be no reasonable doubt and is we'll that the fact
whatever 1t Is worth, should be uni
versally recognized. Our people tend more
strongly year by year to keep alive.
Thisis the broad fact, but Mr.. Humphreys adds
details Of the highest interest. Our suggestions,
derived not from figures, but from observations,
were 1t appears, correct The very old live
longer-that Is, OF course, they are as we sug-
gested. stronger, less liable to that sene feeble
tors as their natural condition. They decay, of
course, and loose powers of all kinds, but they
no longer sink into second childhood, but,
except when overworked die, so to speak, stand
ing. as only heroes used to do. We see men
faculties intact, a3 Converse " to eat we'll we'll
and to walk, and witYfya decided and admitted
influence on the affairs amid which they i've
This Is the more striking because the increased
longevity of the very aged is not shared by the
old. Both In men and women the chance of survi-
val between 55 and 70 has not increased, but has
rat her, If anything, declined. People of that
age do not benefit so much by the reduced power
OF epidemics; they feel, unless exceptionally
strong, the influences, such as sudden falls Of
temperature, over which science has little power,
and they decidedly suffer from the increase of
worry and anxiety which, amOngme and women
with grown families, SO markedly characterizes
| modern life. 1t is, however, in youth and early
maturity that the Improvement is most marked.
The mans chance OF life is increased most decid-
| eddy between and 49, and the wOman's between
and 55; and as, Of course, great numbers,
though not increased numbers, who reach those
| ages survive, Mr.. Humphreys condenses extern
slve calculations into the following sentences:
Although large proportion of young people
cease to be dependent before 20, and alarge pro-
portion OF elderly persons do not become depen-
dent at 60. we shall not be far wrong in classing
the 40 years from 20 to co. as the useful period
mans life. Table No shows US that Of the
1900 years added to the lives OF 1 900 males by
the reduction Of the death-rate in 1865 no
less lest than ,4o7 Or 70 per cent are lived at the
remainder Of the Increase, AS or % per cent,
are lived under 20 years; and 157, or per cent,
above 60 years, Thus, OF the total increase, 70
per cent Is added to the useful and 80 per cent
to what may be called the dependent age
periods. The increased number Of years lived
by LOCO females, according to the. rates Of NOR
tally that prevailed In 1860 is 4O5. Ofthese
2,l96 or Is per cent, are lived at the useful ages
| OcIHccu ~ duu OO; OH, or Id per CeuG, unOer ~
ye s OF age, and 6s5, or 20 per cent, over
II, therefore, Mr. Humphreys figures are cor
rect-and there IS every reason to believe them
the question We put In 1881 Is finally an
| sWered, and answered in the Affirmative. Hy-
g1enic progress, so far as 1t extinguishes or d.
minlshes disease, does not merely lengthen life,
which would be no boon II the extension were
confined to the Psalmist's period of ''labor and
sorrow," but it increases efficiency. More
| youths live and more men and women in their
prime, and youth and early maturity are less
| suddenly and frequently cut short. The reser-
voir OF force IN the nation is deepened as well as
the reservoir OF vitality, and q generation Of
English people, taken as whole, gains more
| time 10 90 Its work, whatever 1t may be. Three
minutes for men and FIVE minutes for women Is
added to every hour Of their time on earth.
mat ls satisfactory, eyen 10 as who see with
painful clearness to what extent cr0wding d.
minishes the happiness Of life and reduces 1t to
continuous struggle, for, II effective vitality Is
increased, so also Is the capacity for emigration.
The civil servant under the crown longest in
harness In England is Earl Granville. He has
held once even longer than Mr.. Gladstone, his
present Chief, whose record is so long and va.
| ried.
The decrease in the supply Of Holsters is attrib-
| uted to the fact that many young Holsters are
caught In the, traps and pots. It is suggested
that the mesbes In these should be large enough
| to allow the small Holsters to escape. This sea
food u 60 generally priced that, u necessary, It
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