Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 30.djvu/649

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THE HABITS AND HISTORY OF CENTENARIANS.
627

requisites, we can not alter our position. No one can make his family-history better than it is, or make his body to be wound up for a longer period than its normal life's span; but it is the duty of each to endeavor to make it cover that span, and to go as long as its appointed time. The uncertainty as to that term, as it is one of the greatest blessings of life, so should it be one stimulus to us to ascertain and to follow the means most suited for prolonging life, especially as we find the result of our investigations to be that those are the means best calculated to turn it to good account and to make it happy.

Analysis of the Table of Centenarians.

By A. Francis, M.E.C.S.,of King's College, Cambridge.

PRESENT CONDITION.

Age.—Fifty-two returns; average age, about 10215 years. Males.—Sixteen returns; average age, about 10214} years; respective ages, 108,105, 104,3 aged 103,4 aged 102,2 aged 101, 10114, 3 aged 100. Females.—Thirty-six returns; average age, about 10216 years; respective ages, 2 aged 108, 106, 3 aged 105, 3 aged 104, 4 aged 103, 10212, 3 aged 102, 7 aged 101, 10034, 10012, 10 aged 100. In 11 cases, the age returned was verified by baptismal certificates or other records; of these, 2 were males, aged 101 and 100; and 9 were females, aged 108, 106, 104, 103, 102, 101, 101, 10012, and 100.

Male or Female.—Fifty-two returns; M.16, F.36.
Single: Married: Widowed.—Fifty-two returns; S.11 (of these 10 were females), M.5, W.36.
Affluent: Comfortable: Poor.—Fifty returns; A.3, C.28, P.19.
Fat: Spare: Average.—Fifty returns; F.9 (of these 8 were females), S.23, A.18.
Full-blooded: Pale: Average.—Forty-six returns; F.8, P.14, A.24.
Strong: Feeble: Average.—Forty-eight returns; S.20, F.12, A.16.
Figure: Erect or Bent.—Fifty returns; E.25, B.25.
Height. Males.—Twelve returns; average, about 5 ft. 812 in.; one also returned as short. Females.—Twenty-six returns; average about 5 ft. 3 in.
Weight. Males.—Seven returns; average nearly 138 lbs. Females.—Ten returns; average about 129 lbs. Respective Weights: Males.—182, 165, 147, 140, 120, 112, 98 lbs. Females.—196, 154, 140, 136, 126, 126, 120, 112, 112, 70 lbs.
Voice.—Forty-seven returns; loud, 6; clear, 16; weak, 7; full, 3 loud and clear, 8; full and clear, 6; loud and full, 1.
Hearing.—Forty-nine returns; good, 23; indifferent, 17; bad, 9 deaf, 1.
Joints.—Forty-seven returns; natural, 37; stiff, 4; deformed, 3;