Semi-weekly Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1897-1901, 1901-07-02
I, Human Life Growing Longer!

Whether the average of human life |;
increasing, except as it is affected ny
the great decrease infant mortality
il a matter OF dispute in the medical
world. To tine lay mind it would seem
as if the progress IF medical knowledge
which has multiplied the number OF
children that survive the first year or two
must have had similar effect in saving
and prolongipg life in later years. 1t Is
certain that improved methods of santa.
ton, diet and living have wrought much
in this direction and so haye the new
means of precaution and prevention
against contagious diseases, toward the
mastery OF which the last quarter OF
century has seen such advances. On
the other hand it is insisted by some au-
thorities that this is all offset by the
"diseases of civilization" nervous
troubles and various organic breakdowns
that were comparatively unknown by
earlier generations. There is und0ubted-
ly some truth to this view, but it is at
the same time to be doubted if these are
so much new diseases, as better under
standing of old ones. Insane asylum sta.
stitics vii! illustrate the difficulty of ac-
curate conclusions in this line. couut
of the inmates shows an eno-mouse IN
crease ia later years, due in some part,
doubtless, to the effect of modern con-
ditions of life in inducing insanity, |
but more to the fact that much nearer
all the insane are under institutional
care than formerly.
The best evidence regarding the dur
alton of life is in life Insurance. sta
tstics, though these again are not en-
tirely satisfactory. For the last eight
years the British life insurance com
panies and joint committee repre-
senting the actuaries OF England and
Scotland have been engaged upon the
of a new table of life ex
1erience, based upon the actual re-
suits disclosed in the experience OF 60
British companies and embracing Co.'S,
100 risks during the years from 1868 to
1893. The new tables show an average
duration of Insurance. in the lease of
Healthy males of 1919 years, as com
jared with only 914 years in the old
ne. For example, by the old table,
ut of 100, 900 at the age of 10 years,
vita whom the table starts. Y, 726
'ould be living at the age of 80, while |
6, ls5 would be living, according to
be new one. The expectation of life !
t so by the old table is 10, SOC; by the r
ew it is 20, l07. If the first five years y
insurance are excluded from the
omputation, the new experience is :
till more favorable as compared with Q
1e old one.
The element of doubt in the oompar n
ION is in the fact that the tendency, P
leoretically, at least, is every year p
wards greater care 10 the selection II
life insurance risks, though the in .
nss competition among the compa-
les for new business" probably ope.
ties to offset this in large degree. The Il
uprising thing in the British com Il
,risons is that the difference in he fl
expectation of life" after so is not n
eater 1t certainly seems to the Or re
nary observation is if there were ca
any more people living to an ad gt
need age, than % or 80 years ago. 1t as
ay be this is less so in Great Brit W
u than 10 this country, Is the result q
the peculiar industrial conditions di
ere. ",
The subject is certainly Il most 10, TO
resting one, and new American ex- Sc
rience tables would throw an in To
ructive light on it. ne