Woodville Republican. (Woodville, Miss.) 185?-current, 1889-04-13
THE LENGTH OF LIFE.
Studies in Longevity Based on the Oficia
English standards.

English standards
In referring to the anniversary OF
Pope Leo Kill we have had occasion
to speak OF the advanced age of those
Italian ecclesiastics who make up the
majority in the College Of Cardinals.
The mean age Of these is about eighty,
and yet not one of them displays any OF
the mental falterings which ane sup
posed to be incident to such advanced
years, and to preclude, save in excep-
tional cases, continuance of useful
ness and activity in the discharge OF
their public functions 1t might be
supposed, perhaps, that there is some
thing in the ItaliaR method Of life
which tends to prolong activity beyond
the average limit in other countries
But the fact is that Italy is not partic-
ularly favored in this respect. Taking
the whole number of Italians, the per-
centage OF those over sixty is just Z,
against ~ in Germany. 7.S in Sweden,
8 in England, 81 in Brazil, 9.9 in Bel
gium, and IL in France. The life-in-
surance companies have made Of the
question of longevity almost deter
mined science with an ample array OF
figures and rules. According to these
the average man who has reached the
age OF sixty has still little less, and
the average woman who has reached
the age OF sixty little more, than four
teen years to live. But the expecta-
ton OF life does not, relatively, dimin-
ish with the advance Of years, for at
eighty the mans chance is somewhat
less, and the woman's somewhat more,
than Ave years and half. According
to the English standards, the persons
who live longest are members Of the
clergy, while in other pursuits
longevity ranks in the follow
ing order: Farmers, merchants,
soldiers, clerks, teachers and physi-
clans. The death rate among the cler-
gy OF the Established Church of Eng.
land is exceptionally low, being, in the
years of active clerical service, only ten
in one thousand OF population, whereas
that of the English Catholic clergy is
so per cent. higher. The figures OF the
insurance companies, which are ample
regarding every point involved, show
that, the age of fifty passed, the expec-
tation OF life is more than twice as
great for the temperate as for the ineb-
riate, the proportion being as seven to
three The proportion of the rich as
compared to the poor, over seventy, is
about four to one, and it is generally
higher among women than among men.
We suppose there is no country Of the
world where the science of long life,
accompanied with good health, unim-
paired mental faculties, good digestion.
and great activity, is better understood
than in France, and there. of /, 900 per-
sons born, 120 reach the age of seventy,
and the percentage continues to be high
until eighty-five is passed. The nerv'
GUS, exciting, restless life of most
Americans is not conducive to extreme
longevity, and the steadily large immi-
grafton of those who have reached the
years OF manhood in other lands as emf.
grants tends to greatly reduce the
standard of longevity in this country
but the tables OF American insurance
companies show that it is steadily ris-
ing. Should this increase continue. il
may not be many years before the rate
here will compare favorably with whai
long experience and repeated proc
have shown to be the normal rate II
other lands. IN. Y. Sun.