Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1916-12-27

100 Years old-ln Ireland. In replylhS L
stated that ! did not know of proof that
there WAS AN Unequal number OF CEN
tenarions in Ireland. \ Very courteous
Irish gentleman differed with me. say
ing that there We're more c"entenaflans
in Ireland proportionale TO population
than in amy other country in the world.
and that the reason was to be found
in the simple died of the old time peo-
pile and especially in the custom OF
eating bread containing a good deal OF
bran.
l promised to investigate for him. AS
the result of that Investigation am
sure that there are other countries with
more c~entenarianS than Ireland holds.
The report of the register general OF
Ireland shows in 1911 there We're l,lo4
people over 80 years of age in a popula-
ton of 1850. 240. In that year there We're
12.lST deaths, of which +61 were of peo-
pie 10 years of age and upwards. OF
these 461 l23 We're reported as being
over 100 years of age.
The report SAYS: "Absolute vertical
ton of the ages of very old people is no
possible owing to the absence of public
records for remote periods, but on sec
| ondalN inquiries having been made as
regards persons returned during some
| recent years as centenarians IT was
found the age was correctly stated in
almost every instance so far as the reg
listers could ascertain
The figures quoted above show that
about 80 out of each 5000 of the popu-
lation are 95 years of age OF over and
IL out of each 10000 deaths are deaths
| of centenarianS.
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 a tend.
oncy to lump old people into 90 years
t1 - -
years and over. and 95 years in .stiH.
ether tables. Glover's United States
Census Office Life Tables for 10 regis
tration states in 1910 shows that for.
each 100. 1000 persons born 40 become
"tenarian This is at the rate of 4;
per 10000. OF each 1000 persons 100
years old living at the beginning OF a
year 4O2 would die before the end OF
the year.
But America is a young nation, but
little over a century old, and. therefore.
but few -entenarians are TO be expected
among its people. We expect to find few
-centenarians per 1000 900 population IN
a young ountry or i'm a country where
the population is increasing RAPIDLY. IN
the United States. as we'll as we can
Judge the population is increasing AT
the rate of about 1000. 900 a year: the
death rate is around 16 and the birth
rate around 2o.5. The population near
ly 100. OOO. 900. The annual increase from
excess OF births over deaths is nearly
$50. 900. The remainder of the growth is
due to excess immigration over emil
grafton.
In Ireland the birth rate is %; the
death rate is 16: sc: the population is
4,45S. 900. The excess of births over
deaths would indicate an increase OF
population of about $4,000 "A year. How.
ever. we find that the population or
ireland decreased at the rate OF oo'ooo
4 year for many years and is now de-
,reasing at the rate of about 10000 a
year. This is due to an excess of emil
grafton over immigration. A low hlfth
.ate. a high death rate, a heavy emil
grafton rate, and a decreasing popula-
lion make for a population in which
there is a preponderance OF old people
as compared with . vorng coun1fH
growing in population. rs IS the United
states, and quite Independently OF the
effect of the foods customarllN eaten
n the two countries. A fairef compafl-
son. therefore. is Ween Ireland ana
some of the older countries of Europe.
1he number of people over - years
IF age per 1000 600 Inhabitants in dlf-
eerent countries is rs follows: England
and Wales, 13.5: Scotland. -. Ireland
2l.3: Denmark. %: Norway. %; Swe-
len. 2S.5: Finland, IA; Russia. 12.o;
Austria. 1876: Hungary. 11.5; Switzer-
and. 10: Germany, l6.5: Holland, 49,;
Belgium. 2O.5: France. -: Spain, 14.3;
Italy. II; Bulgaria. IS; Servia. IL:
Australia. IL; Canada l6; United
States. u.
In Norway. Sweden and France the
people over 90 wears of age constitute
g per cent of the total population. IN
Denmark and Belgium they constitute
per cent of the total population. IN
ireland. Switzerland. Holland, and per
haps in Bulgaria, they make up 6 pc
cent; in England and Wales. I per cent
in Russia. Servia. Hungary and Aus.
tria. 4 per cent. There are said to b'
1875 centenarians in Japan fer caci
900, OG0 people,. but when we deal Will
Japan we must always remember kita
sato's statement that very little is
known about the population of Japan
in those provinces which are back
ward.
These figures do not indicate that thu
Irish people are the longest lived of al
peoples.
Metchnikoff quotes extcnsiFelyafron
-hernin, who he. saws. "~brousht to.
sether the ancient and new records oil
the c-entenarians OF al Countries iip t.
the end of. the 10Th century" Metch
nikoff. does not allude to evidence o
unusual longevity of the Irish :peopl
as shown BY chenin's. .srridies. Cherni1
eound 5.455 centenaTiarhssiR Seryia,: Busl
saria and Rounaliia, aid. oynstei1
found 278 persohs.oyer % .eafs Of ag
among the 2.ooo.oDo .Greeks.- ,chegfn
wrote: Although these figures appea
: TO be exaggerated, IT is undoubtedly tn
ease thatthe pure, keen air OF: the; Bal
lanS and the pastoral or. agriculture
life of the natives lredispose to. OF
age. CheInin wrote that in the com
mune of Sournia and in t.le!departmen
of the Somme, both in France. there j
a disproportionatc number of very oil
people.
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