The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-01-27
LIFE FIGURES.
Need of Records of Mar
riageS and Births.
Interesting Facts About Sex
of CentenarianS.
Not True That Women are Numer-
ically in PrepOnderance.

| don Kane. Recently a good deal has been
said about the duty of all sound ana reae
sonable people to live a century or more
| in robust health; and naturally, In
worlc where Is the only life of which we
can be humanity certain, of which there
is indubitable, material evidence, il must
be a bject Of perennial interest. Yet Of
incontrovertible facts concerning the con-
ditions of long living there is no record.
OF theories there is no end, but they are
controverted by the extreme old age of
many persons whose cases in no way
| conform to the conditions OF the theories.
| The most audacious nonsense is affirmed
and becomes current, doing a vast amount
OF mischief sometimes, and there is only
| the ipse dixit Of sensible people to meet
| it,wnile their authority is not recognized.
For all practical purposes in relation to
| such matters, we might as well be in the
frame of mind of the INCIDENT Persian,
who. when approached by a nineteenth
| century man OF science for statistical in
formation was moved to lazy protest.
"Wherefore. o friend of my gizZsrd'
| should you agitste your soul with such
futile quesiionings? Is il not enough
| that there Is shade to prot ct from the
sunshine, end that tobacco burns? Can
you add an inch TO your ststura or in
crease the capacity of your stomach by
such foolish concern? 10 at peace. All
rests with Allah, and / AN full of sleep"
While we can sppret some of the many
advantages of accurate statistics, we are
cheerfuliy Indifferent to the failure TO
comply with even the present small re-
quiremeDts of the laws.
Because old men and women ara un-
able to sleep manv hours, but get no at
unchristisn hours OF the night ana
characterize as slothfrl ell the young
who seek in sleep the restoration of their
weary nerve-centers; and because they
forget that thev. too, once lay abed till
the sun awoke them, ana maintain that
early rising was always their habit. it is
made dogma that ripe age is impossible
TO all hat early rsers. Jhere is no trust
worthy record of the earlier customs Of
now aged folk to establish the truth. Ee-
cause of the natural Incidence. or the fear
OF taking cold, of some old reople who
do not bathe as often as tbev might, il
IL urgsd that personal cleanliness is op-
posed to the living To extreme age.
There is no record to prove whether this
is true or false. Because occasional
warriors have lived long in suite of ex-
poIur,s in camp ana field, it is main
tight belt about the waist is conducive
TO length of years. There is no record TO
show what proper ion of centenarians
have been addicted to this habit.
Speculation goes further in the absence
OF accurate observation of fscts. Be-
cause the trees that have long life usually
have thick trunks snd small limbs; and
because lower animals that have large
bodies ard short limbs are said To outlive |
olhers, 1T is inferred that men and women
who have large bodies, or long bodies,
and short limbs, are destined TO live to a |
great age II they escnps accident. AS the |
hand usually conforms TO the body,a per- |
son with a broad palm, and short fingers |
is said to have the potentiality of the ut
most limit of human life. The hypothe-
sis Is not unreasonable. A body out OF
to the limbs may indicate
large vital or gans. and these would ma
turally mean great vital power. However,
there are two reported instances of dwarf
and deformed centeuarians-one recorded
by'Hailer If n woman OF 100 years who
was only feet inches ia height, and
terribly deformed," ana another, men,
toned by Bailey. who was only feet |
icbes and also misshapen. IL would ne an
easy thing TO verifv or reiute these
theories il there had been any compre-
hensive and trust worthy record of cen.
tenarians.
II is alleged with great positiveness
hat the married state is more favora ble
than the single to longevity, and thst
women are largely in the majority among
the phenomenslly old. So generally
accepted is this last opinion that a recent
comment on the alleged fact
has been allowed 10 psss unchallenged.
It may I've true that after n certain periot
Of life woman is less liable than man TO
succumb To the destructive influences OF
time, but in list OF more than 80 per-
sons claiming tn no more than century
old, | lind the two sexes slmost equally
The list was complied from
no daily newspaptrs. 1t happens that
New Hampshire presents moro than double
he number OF any other state, and the
cases happen TO be thoso OF womoa. This
might serve as the basis OF theory ns
we'll founded az mnst-that the climate
and conditions of life in New Hampshire
are particularly favorable TO the long liv-
ing Of women. Ilossver, there may be
simpler explanation. TIE newspapers
from which all the cisos were taken were
the New York d'ily journals, which have
mtre correspondents in New England
than in othor parts Of the country. PROB
ably the next collection from that com.
would show preuondcrance
Of men.
II every marriage ard every birth were
cfrefully recorded with such facts about
The psrsonsl psculisrities ss could have