Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1897-10-07
CAUSES OF LONGEVITY.
Mere ola People F01Ad IN A1rio1l.
tural Places Than IN Citie6.


longevity statistics tho special subject
lished the result Of his Investigations In
m interesting article. On account of
the difficulty Of obtaining full data in
regard to the conditions surrounding
each case of longevity on record. the
deductions as to the causes favorable
or unfayorable to longevity are heceH-
sarily hypothetical. The figures OBJ
tanned by the statistician seem to indi
cute, however shat climate and the de-
gree of civilization are among the most
important factors influencing lon,
Gcvity. More people of over. 100 years
are found I'm the mild zone of southern
Europe than In the higher ATTITUDES.
with their long and severe winters. In
countries with a highly developed civ
il:Zation comparatively fewer cases Of
longevity IRE found than in more print
tive countries. The statistics also show
that iQkagricultural countries the per-
centage of people over 100 years old IS
greater than in countries principally
devoted to industries. Some of the fig
ures collected are, indeed, surprising.
According to the last census the Ger.
man empire has n population of about
100000. Among them there are only
70 who have passed the hundredth year
France, with n population of barely 40,
100000, can boast of 213 persons who
have celebrated their centennial III
good health. The figures in regard to
Great Britain are very interesting anil
significant. OF persons who have
passed the century mark there are in
England 146, in Ireland 578, and in
Scotland only 46. Another peculiar fast
is the unequal distribution of lon
gevity in the Scandinavian peninsula.
Sweden has only ten centenarians.
while rugged Norway, with popula-
ton of only about 100000. can
boast of % people who have lived
over five score of years. There
Is but five centenarians in the
Industrial beehive Of Belgium, only
two in sea grit Denmark, and not
q single one in Switzerland. with its
spow-clad mountains.
Figures from Russia, Austria and
Italy could not be obtained. For Rus
sic no census has ever been taken, AMI
data rs to the age of individuals are
unreliable In that country, unless they
are based upon official researches. Such
cases would. Of course. not enable
statistician to use them as n foundation
for any comparison. In Austria and
Italy local censuses have been made,
but they were mostly confined to cities
| anu certain industrial districts, and no
complete figures could be obtained.
The most astonishing figures are fur
nished by the south of Europe. Spain.
| with q population Of about $4,000, 900.
has 401 people over 100 years of age
Even more favorable to longevity the
climate OF The Balkans seems to be-
Servia, with a total population Of about
2,350,000, has no less than SIS people
VINO have passed the century mark;
| Roumania, with population Of $780,
600, 1904. and Bulgaria, with a popula-
ton of 100000, even $3.50. In one
year (1s92) there were $50 persons of
more than 100 years included in the
mortality reports of Bulgaria. In the
minute kingdom of Servia there were,
according to the census of 1892, 200 per-
cons between 100 and 115 years Of age,
J 1872 between 115 and 1875 years, 10 be-
| tween 125 and 1875 and three between
1876 and 140.
The question, who IL the oldest per-
| sui Al bhO WIN Has OACch DSCh U9ASu,
and every now and then some claim in
that respect is set up in favor of some
individual of uncertain age. A few
years ago report went through tho
continental press of Europe saying that
inRussia man had been found who had
reached the ripe old age of 100 years.
However, no proofs were given for that
assertion. According to the researches
Of the German statistician, the Oldest
person in tho world, whose age has
been proved beyond q doubt, is Bruno
Cotrim, a negro, who was born in Al.
rica'15o years ago and now lives In Rio
dc Janeiro. Next comes coachman In
I Moscow, with 40 years to his anthem
tically established record. The Oldest
woman in the world is 1870 years old, but
does not want to have her name men
| tened, because she thinks that there
are many older women in this world,