LONGEVITY.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3230, 5 November 1881, Page 4

LONGEVITY.

In an interesting paper by M. De Solaville on great longevity the author has brought together some of the most recent data on the subject. He analyzes the results of recent European censuses by ages and the registers of deaths also by ages. If we strike a mean of the censuses from 1869 to 1872 we find that Europe (exclusive of Russia, Turkey, and some small southern States) possessed in 1870 a mean population of 242,940,376, classed as follow from the point of view of advanced age 5:—17,313,715 of more than 60 years ; 79,859 of more than 90; and 3180 of more than 100 years, i.e., 1 inhabitant in 12 of more than 60; lin 2669 of more than 90; and 1 in 62,503 of more than 100. The women, M. Solaville finds, are more numerous in extreme old age than men, and the difference increases with tho age. Thus, at 60 years the advantage is with tho women in the proportion of 7 per cent.; at 90 and above it rises to 45 ; and with centenarians to 60 per 100. It is in France that we find the greatest relative number of inhabitants at the age of 60 and upwards ; but it is not so for centenarians, of whom France has less than all the other States of Europe, "except Belgium, Denmark, and Switzerland. From a calculation of deaths by ages the result is reached that to the total deaths those at the age of 90 and upwards bore the follow-

ing proportions in tho countries named and arranged according to the decreasing order of importance : —Great Britain, 9.73 j ! Sweden, 7.39; France, 6.58; Belgium,6.o7; i Switzerland, 6 ; Holland, 4-47 ; Italy, 8"76 ; J Bavaria, 3 - 42; Prussia, 3-06; Austria, 2-61. This result is in accordance with what we know of tho mean age of the deceased in tho same countries. Is great ! longevity increasing or diminishing for the same number of inhabitants ? We have information of this subject only for France. If we take two periods sufficiently distant from each other to allow a change of any importance to be produced, in the 14 years of the period 1824-37 we find a mean annual number of deaths among centerarians of 152, or lin 217,105 inhabitants. In the 8 years of the period 1853-60 we only find a mean annual number of 111 centenarian deaths in a population which has increased 20 per cent. But if great ages appear to have diminished, the mean life have very sensibly increased—a result much more favourable. A certain number of eentonarians have made known their regimen. Notwithstanding some very rare examples to the contrary, we must place in the first rank temperance, sobriety, and regular habits ; then come heredity, relative comfort, the absence of strong and frequent emotions, as far as possible a country life, and, finally, a healthy and quiet calling. The eminent, but somewhat witty German physiologist, Hoffmann, sums up as follows the- means of attaining a great age: — "Avoid excess in everything, respect old habits, even bad ones, breathe pure air, adapt the nurishment to. the temperament, avoid drugs and doctors, have ani easy conscience, a merry heart, and a contented mind."