The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1890-01-03
STATISTICS OF LIFE.
The Conditions which Lead TO Aa'H"''
Age-s,me Interesting Statistics

Farmers. rs usual. make large proper.
ton. 40 per cent, OF our let. Ost oi ~
old men In this country noted by " =. ~.
hammond. 36l were farmers, and neaI''
ali began life upon the farm" ~
three-fourths OF cur population, anu
n,uy half our workers are on
farms. this proportion - not as laIt =
AZ IL appears on the surface, ana inuica'e'
that the chance Of old age = really no kIe"'s
or on the farm than anywhere else Ou. "a
the fifiy-nine French centenarians whose DC
cupations were known, twenty-five "ere
farmers and eight laDd-holders, 50
that In France, while larger pro
portion than here sprang rom Tue
land. the proportion IL stii one
third less than the three-toufths Oh tne eola'
Inhabitants which the land bears Ia France
The most distinguished Of French centeha-
rians NJ. Cfeyretli. who died this year AZ
l03 had lived i'm Paris all his life. Inc
world over. the chance both Of death ana OF
birth seems less in the modern city than IN
the country, In other words, both the Dir'"
rate and death rate are less In cities.
Special habits have little or nOthlng I" uO
with long life. and il will be found as our
list Of old men grows that i"lr Pr
norton use spirits and tobacco. H'i
hours are the rule and dinner ~ the nid'
lie of the day. as well as offspring, Oul
these are so universal in the class rom
which old men and women come thar II
l. not easy 10 draw conclusions. Inc
very careful medical inquiry made ~
Professor Humphrey showed that niue
over the average heighth and welght-ioi
men. five feet eight and One-half inches, ana
1873 pounds. and for women, i've feet ana
eight inches. and 1919 pounds was most "a
yorable 10 long life. II is "A familiar medi-
cal dicttm that a man Is 'as old as ms ar
teries.n but there il little in such facts as
have been gathered to support u.
But the encouraging lesson IN All sucn
facts and figures is the proof they oher Una,
Z @ average Of human life is lengthening aud
the years Of health, activity and comlo''
increasing. Old men and women are iai
more common than they once were. M
England. from 1854 To lsSl-2. the death
rate dropped from 22.5 per thousand TO l3.'
and this stands for an average addition oil
two year. 10 the lives Of men and three
wears and four months 10 the lives OF wo'
men In this country. which shares TINS
advance. this means that az the end OF
thirty years 1000, 900 more people, on o'ite
a. large as PENNSYLVANIA. will be alive VINO
under the earlier death rate. would have
been dead. In sweden, where longer
comparison is possible, the death-rate
l77OgO. was 80 per thousand. IN looV-J II
was only l1.j. The death rate OF Lon.
don was once 40 per thousand; u d
now IS. 10 and even l3: The deatl
rate here is far higher Do. This enormous
addition has changed life after on 20 iron
the lean and slippe7ed pantaloon o.
Shakespeare 20 have. vigorous, ana nearly
wears. in which life is enjoyed 10 the utmost
| IN the question is often asked what ciFiii1a
tion has really done 10 increase human nap
n,ness we can unhesitatingly point 10 th'
green Old age which we chronicle TIM
morning-every man and woman proof %
an advance we all share IN a larger or les
degree. Philadelphia Press.