Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-11-08
LIVING FOR $50 YEARS
The Average Of Human Life Is Get
ting Longer-Fads Of Diet to Pro-
long .ExIstenee-The "Llve-a-
Century" Propaganda
Bv GEORGE Nox MCCAIN

1t does not mean particularly that the
term ''od age" covers a broader field. That
where men formerly lived to seventy years
of age the silver cord nowadays is not
loosened until they reach eighty or there
abouts.
Mr.. Glib is an authority on the subject
of life statistics.
He is actuary of great life insurance
company, and one Of the leading statisticians
in that line in this country.
AT advanced ages there does not seem
to be any improvement, rather the con-
trary, Mr.. Glib says. Then he explains ::
This has been put down to the increase
In degenerate diseases, such as cancer and
heart and kidney diseases, which very prob
ably may have n definite connection with
our strenuous modern business methods"
MIR. GlBB casts this ray of hope on the
A'l current Of time for the benefit Of the
gray headed chaps:
THE average lifetime Of what might be
termed the middle ages seems to be longer.
This may, to some extent, be ascribcd to
improved sanitation and improved methods
of treating tuberculosis and similar dis
eases.
The mortality experience Of all the life
insurance companies during the year 1921
up to the present time has been extremely
favorable.
I'm one Of the largest Industrial COM
panies the mortality experience is reported
to be about 20 per cent below the normal.
1T Is, the Judgment of the company's
actuary that 1t is probably due to improved
conditions of living among the industrial
classes. consequent upon higher wages. In
surance applicants Of his company are
largely drawn from that class"
TNIIERE are thousands of men and women
L who cherish the pleasing fiction that
somewhere, waiting only to be discovered,
there Is some process for extending far
beyond the average the duration of human
life
1t is probably true, ms Mr.. Glib points
out, that the average death rate Is declining
through n lessened infant mortality.
This is incident to the greater care of
children the hygiene of the household as
we'll ms the multiplication Of agencies for the
careful rearing of foundlngs and orphans
But this does not add to the length of
years among the aged.
Death recruits the grenter millions Of his
silent army from the ranks of childhood.
When the life Of the babies is increased
1t advances the average of the whole range
of human life.
TNHERE is another reason. equally inter-
l. csting, which Mr. Glib points out.
The apparently lower death rate has been
influenced by the large amount of selected
business which was written by life insur
nnce companies during the years 1919 and
1920.
They were the years when prosperity
reached its peak.
ihese new riSkS1Ifor men with surplus
cash turned naturally to life insurance as
protective mcaSurc--wcrc subjected TO
strict medical examination and formed
,"rE'r Ir"Po'u"h Oh the total business than
in previous years
Ahother "Npiahati"h is that the Influenza
epidemic in the early months of 1920 took
q nI;nrl
,oM dlH'red from the epidemic of 1918 and
l'i"' "nIch ahrctcu the younger people.
New York State health reports have
Sn"Wh mat since those cpidemics low death
rates nave Deeh experienced in the general
pop"'"''on'
NNE vrouId bov rooso, .. hoI,. A., 49,
[ Dn r '''''' '"'o' 10 oelleVe tnat the
-, % "Mrpt ing ~Lmger OF lSrnel was trite off
ms count "h"n he declared that the days
vi vi our ,IJ nri'rS are thrce score and ten,' II
Tho Pnnn,r,yonio ~ nrrn1r,ain columns OF
'"C rHl.H? nanny haiiro"d roll or honor
Hupern'laiiy It would seem that at least
Yen !'urS might Dc added to the recognized
limit OF human lne.
din nave Detore me one or these lists. It
,"rmS ,,.In iotuS tnHr ,,,les Ihey are OF men
uut OF the forty -hVe names ten were over
visn.S , !enrS nt dcath ana twenty y-seven
VIZ M over J soFrh'y years Oh age.
..D., ame tauil.tu strenuous Iltc OF our early
,,,o,, ~, !;%I Tins u nave passed these
lieh ny. W possibly IL was because of the
c~hHrncter ~ OF 'Netr employment.
NearE an Oh them mad worked in the
out-oi 'uoorS'
TOPTr-SIr u,o. ,,
"a the piker class and lead Mr.. Rockefeller
by n nundred laps Is waiting the man who
Will olsCo'er the secret or prolOnging life.
Men nave peen searching for 1t through
all ages.
Every generation has seen some scheme.
nostrum or course of diet advanced for the
pr0'onsat'on m OF Ire or the cure for all physi-
cal illS'
Diet reforms attract larger following
and nd live longer.
inc graham hour movement has lasted
longer Lnan most OF the diet tads.
IN the seventy years of its existence it
mas Deen rehned far beyond the views Of It's
originator.
drinking practice, when abattoirs became
the mecca for the ailing and the anemc
tegetarianism has its vOtaries in every
civilized ig tha tu{,