The Colfax chronicle., 1904-01-16
INCREASE In LONGEVITY.



It is admitted that many lives are nov
prolonged which under the conditions
Of century ago-or even half that DO
riod-would have been inevitably lost
The Introduction OF vaccination and
other forms OF preventive and curativ,
incubation, including the various anti
toxins: the discovery Of the means and
methods of anaesthesia and antisepsis;
and the recognition Of the importance
OF cleanliness, personal and circumfer-
ential, have in numberless instances ac-
complished what would formerly have
been regarded as scientific miracles In
the preservation and prolongation OF
human life. But in considering the broad
question of the actual increase Of the
length OF life, there are several aspects
from which it must be examined, says
American Medicine. We do not mean
by increased longevity that a larger
proportion of individuals attain GEN.
tenarian rank, or that the average OF
age at the time of death has become
greater. Are we to understand that
each individual lives longer than he
would have lived under the conditions
Of one or more centuries ago? The
death rate has Of late years been de-
creasing in all civilized countries. In
this connection we must recollect that
the mortality in every community varies
with age. In infancy 1t is very high, in
childhood very low, from ten to fifteen
years of age 1t is lower than at any other
period of life; then 1t continues low; but
with gradual increase. until middle age
is passed, after which 1t rises rapidly
in every succeeding decade. We find
that, according to the common consen-
sus Of statisticians, the only Trustworthy
means Of conducting this inquiry Is by
examination of the life tables, by which
we come to ascertain the expectation of
life at each year of age. Such tables
form the basis Of all the calculations OF
insurance companies, and are construct
ed from the mean population for a se--
ries Of years at the various ages, and
the mean annual number Of deaths at
the corresponding ages. Now 1t ID
known that the contagious, infectious
and gastrointestinal diseases, which fur
1ish so large proportion of fatal cases
In infancy and childhood, do not cause
even five per cent. of the deaths which
occur after the age of IS. On the other
hand. the deaths of persons over As from
alcoholism, cancer. tuberculosis, dia-
betes, old age, apoplexy, diseases Of the.
heart and blood vessels, of the respira-
.ory and digestive organs, of the kid |
leys and bladder, and from violence
constitute about 80 per cent Of all such |
ieaths. In fact. the deaths from some
" these causes, in spite of all our santa |
ion, have increased at such rate as to |
ause serious misgivings for the future.
n the city of New York the death rate
rom cancer and from diseases of the /
Iidneys (Bright's disease in its various
orms) has doubled In 30 years; so that
n some respects the saving of life
Imong the young, by the partial sup
'ressfon Of contagious and septic dis
ases, tends to be counterbalanced by
n increased mortality after middle life
II
rom diseases depending more on per.
onal habits than on external causes
We find that during the past half Gen.
ury the expectation of life for males
birth has been increased by nearly
our years. But the lowering of the
cath rate and the increase of the ex.
ectation of life do not necessarily i'm.
ly increased longevity of the race as
hole. The saving of SO many fragile
yes has the necessary effect of throw
lg forward into the later periods OF
fe large number of weakly persons
1d the average stamina Of the popula.
on is consequently reduced: so that
hen the decline of life begins and the
hysical powers decay. this undue pro-
ortion OF weakly lives tends to increase
le mortality at advanced ages.