The late Dr. Farr constructed tables showing the expectancy of life calculated upon the death-rates of the years 1838–54, and similar tables have more recently been constructed by Dr. Ogle, from the death-rates of the years 1871–80. In the case of male children newly-born, a child born in the first period could expect to live 39·91 years if he lived to an average age; a child born in the second period had a longer expectancy of life, namely, 41·35 years. While, however, the expectancy at birth during childhood and youth has been increased, the following table (extracted from their tables) will show that the expectancy during manhood has diminished; that is to say, men are either not so strong, or their surrounding conditions are less favourable than they were, and they cannot expect to live for so long a period. The details of this table are as follows:—
| Ages. | GROUP I. 1838–1854. | GROUP II. 1871–1880. |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 39·91 | 41·35 |
| 5 | 49·71 | 50·87 |
| 10 | 47·05 | 47·60 |
| 15 | 43·18 | 43·41 |
| 20 | 39·48 | 39·40 |
| 25 | 36·12 | 35·68 |
| 30 | 32·76 | 32·10 |
| 35 | 29·40 | 28·64 |
| 40 | 26·06 | 25·30 |
| 45 | 22·76 | 22·07 |
| 50 | 19·54 | 18·93 |
| 55 | 16·45 | 15·95 |
| 60 | 13·53 | 13·14 |
| 65 | 10·82 | 10·55 |
| 70 | 8·45 | 8·27 |
| 75 | 6·49 | 6·34 |
| 80 | 4·93 | 4·79 |
| 85 | 3·73 | 3·56 |
| 90 | 2·84 | 2·06 |
| 95 | 2·17 | 2·01 |
| 100 | 1·68 | 1·61 |
[Physical Degeneration of the Race already indicated.]
It seems improbable that the short expectancy of middle age can be due to modern overstrain, for external conditions are on the whole improving, and the same fact may be observed in the expectancy of women, who certainly have not been placed under more unfavourable external conditions. Calculations from other periods of years would be here of great value, in order further to eliminate the effects of climatic changes, etc., and it must be remembered that the figures which are the basis of all statistics are only approximate to, and never exactly represent, the true condition of things. For these reasons, it seems important to pursue statistical investigations still further, and to examine the returns of other nations in order to determine whether or no their facts are similar to ours.
In the meantime, we may view, and not without inquietude, the probability that our statistics, as far as they go, indicate that racial deterioration has already begun as a sequence to that care for the individual which has characterised the efforts of modern society. The biologist, from quite another group of facts, has independently arrived at conclusions which render this view in the highest degree probable.
FOOTNOTES
[12] Billing’s “Text-book of the Theory and Practice of Medicine,” p. 8.
[13] Report of Leprosy Commission in India, 1890–1.
[14] “Bacteria and other Products,” p. 230.
[15] “Introduction to Modern Therapeutics” (1892), p. 15.