Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-06-05
HIGH PRESSURE AMERICAN.
In Spite of Ineessant Activity Hc

In Spite OF 1nceeSant ACTIVITY He
Lives Longer Than His Fathers.
There rs hardly q week that we do
not see in some Journal or newspaper
an ailusion to the high pressure OF
American life. 1t Is taken for granted
that the only pace that kills is our
own, that we are shortening our lives
ana bringing our early death by the
strain.
We have often been minded to deny
the allega tion, but on second thought
have not done so because Of the great
difficulty that exists in getting at scien-
tif1c disproof. We are as little inclined
az another to justify fever1sh CONNER
cialism, but we believe that these are
unwise, chiefly because of other rea-
sons than those pertaining to vital sta
tistics. The fallacy Of the scoffer at
American high pressure lies doubtless
in the fact that every one has the vir-
tues of his defects-A. e., that we have
other qualities which more than COM
pensate in life lengthening way. The
insurance statistician, Frederick l..
Hoffman, makes a, statement which, II
true in all its details, should be laid
before the echoers of the old charge
against the fast living American.
II is, then, a matter Of great impor-
| lance to note that there has been ma
terial increase IN the number Of those
who survive to the age Of thirty, forty
and fifty in the United States, and the
number will probably continue to grow
as the conditions Of city life are i'm
proved.
"At present in Massachusetts there
are expected to survive at the age of
fifty 5,275 persons out Of every 10000
born against 4,4O0 survivors out Of the
same number in 1865. At the age OF
eighty the number Of survivors Is ,26t
at present against 1850 half a century
ago. Therefore most valuable lives
valuable because of enhanced intelli
gence and omprehension-have beer
saved to the state because of the san
itary and other social progress made
during the last fifty years. This coun
try Is more healthy, with the exception
Of Norway and Sweden than any par,
Of Europe, and the effect Of the intense
business men and women Is more thar
balanced by our higher standards o.
living, which tend to make our people
continue along the path Of improve
ment. While it Is impossible to arrive
at final conclusions on the basis Of oul
industrial or ordinary experience, be
cause of the careful medical selection
exercised in insurance practice, tn
facts established by other invesdga
tons indicate that the adult foreigl
born citizen is subject to lower NOR
tally in the United States than in hi
own country, and it may be safely as
sumed that any inherited tendency t,
early decay will be more than balanced
by the healthier conditions Of life II
our country. A comparative mortalit.
table shows that close behind Norwa,
and ahead Of Great Britain, France
Germany and ahead of other states II
our country, New Jersey has the loves
death rate The chance Of attaining
the age Of 100 in Massachusetts is to
day ten times what it was half cen
fury ago.
Certainly the facts are abundan
tending to prove that old age is bein.
attained by men and women in thi
country with an increasing degree o
frequency, and, what is better. to quot
the words of an authority, 1T is Ger
tain that our American men at sixt.
are not broken up as badly as our ia
theirs were at forty "-American Med
| iCinP