Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1885 — Increased Duration of Life. [ARTICLE]

Increased Duration of Life.

The stage to which we have at present attained may be stated thus: Compared with the period 1838-1854 (the earliest for which there are trustworthy records) the average of a man’s life is now 41.9 years instead of 39.9, and of a woman’s 45.3 instead of 41.9 years, an addition of 8 per cent, to the female life and 5 per cent, to the male. Of each thousand males born at the present day, forty-four more will attain the age of 35 than used to be the case previous to 1871. For the whole of life the estimate now is that of 1,000 persons (onehalf maels and one-half females) thirtyfive survive at the age of 45, twenty-six at 55, nine at 65, three at 75, and one at 85. To put the case in another way, every thousand persons born since 1870 will live about 2,700 years longer than before. In other words, the life of a thousand persons is now equal in duration to that of 1,070 persons previously; and 1,000 births will now keep up the growth of our population as well as 1,070 births used to do. This is equivalent in result to an increase of our population, and in the best form, viz., not by more births but by fewer deaths, which means fewer maladies and better health. What is more, nearly 70 per cent, of the increase- ©f life takes place (or is lived) in trhe “usual period,” namely, between the ages of 20 and 60. Thus, of the 2,700 additional years lived by each thousand of! ©ur population, 70 per cent., or 1,890 years, will be a direct addition to the working power of our people. It is to be remembered that there might be a great addition to the births in a country with little addition to the national working power—nay, with an actual reduction of the national wealth and prosperity—seeing that, regarded as “economic agents,” , children are simply a source of expense, ! and so also are a majority of, the elderily who have passed the age of three : score. On the other hand, as already said, only one quarter of the longer or additional life now enjoyed by our people is passed in the useless periods of childhood and old age, and more than one-third of it is lived at ages when life is in its highest vigor, and most productive alike of wealth and enjoyment. —Cornhill Magazine.