The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-11-12
SEX AND LONG LIFE.
More Women than Men Become Old,
hut Fewer Very Old.
Popular Science Monthly.

Popular Science Monthly.
An examination Of the Massachusetts,
r resaSenna reports nsp rerea,s some whfcb 5ac ase WIFI o9
interest, both in themselves considered and
as Illustrating some of the conditions favor
Of persons who died in Massachusetts dur
ing the ten years from 1881 to 1890, irclus-
sive, at the age OF one hundred years or
over was 203. The whole number or deaths
reported during the same time was 1874, 4S4,
making the proportion of centenarians one
for every 1928 of all deaths reported. DR..
Farr, the celebrated English reglstar-gen-
eral. in his March of an English Genera
ton Through Life" states that out OF
every 100000 persons born In England only
This is one in ASA, or less than one-half
the proportion in Massachusetts. 1t must
be remembered, however, that in respect
two cases are not parallel, nasmuch as,
in the first place, the returns Of deaths,
are ereeI much less Complete in Massachusetts
than in England; and, in the second place,
a large proportion OF persons OF the young
sachusetts TO settle in the newer portions
of our country, leaving an abnormally large
proportion OF aged persons basn m meger fbs nTe,
portion OF centenarianS in MASSACHUSETTS Is
Unexpectedly large and leads to the belief
that its climate and conditions OF lie are
favorable to longevity.
The average age Of these zoe centenarians
was 102 years five months and twenty-i,ve
tween 100 and 100, thirty-tWo were from lW
to 10. seven were from Ito to ll5, and one
Claims our attention is that. Of these 23
persons, 153 were females and only fifty
males-that is. more than three times as
one hundred years. This proportion does
not vary greatly from that which has been
reported in other cases. Thus, in New York
city, out Of Ill persons dying at the age
OF ninety years or over seventy-seven were
females and thirty-four males proportion
of two and one-fourth to one. The Morning
post. of London. has tabulated all the cases
ported in its columns during the year 1892,
and finds that the octogenarians numbered
Iii. of whom 6S were females and 545
males. Above the age or eighty the pro-
portion of females rapidly increases, so that
at the age of one hundred or over there
are five times as many women as men.
DR.. Farr states that of males living at
twenty, one in three reaches seventy. one
reaches ninety; while Of females living at
twenty one in two and two-fifths reaches
seventy. one in six and three-fourths reach
Hufeland, in his cart of Prolonging Life"
Laws down the law that more women than
men become old, but fewer very DID," The
first part Of this law is abundantly sus-
tanned by the results obtained In all OF
these cases. As to the latter portion, 5udg-
ing from these figures, II Is open to Ques.
ton. In Massachusetts, the average age OF
the fifty males exceeded that or the To-
- a. y
! eight persons who were over ITO years TWO
were males and six femaleS-StiH three &C
one; and the oldest of all was a female, whc
had attained the great age of 1S years. This
| advantage on the part of the female sex
and a considerable advantage we must ad'
NIT it to be, when We consider that there
are nearly 5 per cent. more males borr
than females, and only one-third as many
| living at the end of the century-is PROBABLY
due in part to the fact that women, as q
| class, have a more favorable environment
than men, leading more quiet and regular
lives, having fewer bad habits and forms
| OF dissipation to sap their vitality, and be,
ing less exposed to death by violence anc
| by accident; and In part to a greater endur
ance and tenacity OF life which are IN
| herent in the female sex.
| Considering next the element OF marriage
We find that l4 had been married one o.
more times, fourteen had never been mar
| ried, and concerning five the facts were no
| stated. Leaving out of account the latter
| class, there were thirteen times as many
married as unmarried. In the absence o.
statistics showing the relative proportion
| of married and unmarried persons in tn
community at large, 1t Is impossible to de
termine the proportion of centenarians IL
| each class; but it may be considered q:
quite certain that the married reach th'
age of one hundred years in greater rate
| than the unmarried. The average age o
the married exceeded that of the unmarried
by about fourteen months. This comedies
with the results obtained from otnel
sources. So far as L know, all statistic!
show a smaller mortality rate and a create,
| longevity among the married than the un
married. Mr.. Darwin urges matrimony a.
one Of the greatest aids to long life, ant
calls attention to a mass of statistics gath
men die in far greater proportion than mar
ried.