Omaha daily bee., 1916-11-08
CENTENARIANS
IN IRELAND
Claim of Largest Number Not
Sustained by Comparative
Statistics.
SWEDEN GIVEN THE LEAD

Recently a correspondent asked a
question which predicated as a fact
that there were an unusually large
number of very old people-more than
100 years old--in Ireland. In replying
stated that did not know OF proof
that there was an unequal number OF
centenarians in Ireland, A very cour-
tcous Irish gentleman differed with
me, saying there were more centenari-
ans in Ireland proportionate to popu-
lation than in any other country IN
the world, and that the reason was to
be found in the simple diet of the old
time people and especially in the Gus
tom OF eating bread containing a good
deal of bran .,
promised to investigate for him.
AS the result of that investigation |
am sure that there are other countries
with more centenarians than Ireland
holds.
The report of the registrar general
OF Ireland shows that in 1911 there
were LISA people over IS years of age
in population of 4,39o,240, In that
year there were 72,lS7 deaths, of
which 46l were of people IS years OF
age and upwards. OF these 46l, l23
were reported as being over 100 years
of age,
The report says: absolute verifica-
ton of the ages OF very old people is
not possible, owing to the absence Of
public records for remote periods, but
on secondary inquiries having been
made as regards persons returned
during some recent years as centen-
arians, it was found the age was cor
rectly stated in almost every instance,
so far as the registrar could asccr-
tain"
The figures quoted above show that
about thirty out of each 10000 of the
population are IS years OF age or over
and sixteen out OF each 10000 deaths
are deaths of centenarians.
Some Comparisons.
How do these figures compare with
other figures! ! have not been able to
make an absolute comparison because
of several defects in the statistical
data. In addition to the inaccuracies
due to faulty registration 100 years
ago, there Is the trouble which comes
from tendency to lump old people IS
years and over in one table; rs years,
IS years and over, and IS years In still
other tables. Glover's United States
census office life tables for ten regis
tration states in 1910 shows that for
each 10000 persons born forty become
centenarians. This is at the rate OF
four per 10000. OF each 1000 persons
100 years old living at the beginning
of year, 402 would die before the
end OF the year.
But America Is young nation, a
little over a century old, and, there
fore, but few centenarians are to be
expected among It's people, We ex-
pect to find few centenarians per
million population in young country
or in country where the population
: is increasing rapidly. In the United
7 States, as we'll as we can judge, the
population Is increasing at the rate o.
about million year; the death rate
is around Is and the birth rate arount
25.5. The population is nearly l00,.
100000 The annual increase from ex.
cess of births over deaths is nearly
: 10000. The remainder OF the growth
= is. due to excess of immigration over
emigration.
A Land Of Elders.
In Ireland the birth rate is %; the
! death rate Is 1916; the population Is
4,45S000 The excess Of births over
deaths would indicate an increase Of
: population of about 10000 year
y However, we find that the population
of ireland decreased at the rate Of
$4,000 a year for many years and Is
& now decreasing at the rate of abou
. $4,000 year This Is due to an exces.
of emigration over immigration. A
low birth rate, high death rate, {
: heavy emigration rate, and decreas
e ing population make for population
= in which there is preponderance o
, old people as compared with young
, country growing in population as i
the United States, and quite independ
entity of the effect Of the foods Gus
o tomarily eaten in the two countries
A fairer comparison, therefore is be
tween Ireland and some of the olde
1 countries OF Europe.
The number of people over IS year
of age per 100000 inhabitants in diff
0 ferent countries is as follows: Eng
land and Wales, 1875; Scotland, Is
Ireland, 2l.3; Denmark, Is; Norway
i 20; Sweden, 28.5; Finland, IA; Russia
IFS; Austria, 1875; Hungary lis
Switzerland, Is; Germany, l6.S; Hol
10 land, 1873; Belgium, EOS; France. "a
Spain, AS; Italy, u; Bulgaria. Is
Serbia, II; Australia, II; Canada, 10
United States, IL,
These figures do not indicate tina
" the Irish people are the longest live
of all peoples.
. Chemin's Investigations.
Metchnikoff quotes extensivel
from Chemin, who" he say
brought together the ancient an
new records on the centenarians c
* all countries up to the end of tn
= nineteenth century" Metchniko
does not allude to evidence of III
usual longevity of the Irish peopl
as shown by Chemin's studies. Chen
9 in found SASS centenarians in Servi
y Bulgaria and Roumania, and Orr
stein found 278 persons over IS year
N of age among the 100000 Greek
lie Chcmin wrote: Although these hi
l. ures appear to be exaggerated, it