In regard to the mortality of musicians, we give with much pleasure the following extract from the same work: "The ages of 468 persons at death, were all that could be obtained from a biography of musicians; of these, 109 born since the year 1740 are excluded, because some of their cotemporaries were yet living at the date of such biography, also 41 more are excluded as having died under 50 years of age. There remain then, the ages at death of 318 persons on which the present observation is made. From the ages of 50 years to the end of life, the apparent rate of mortality among musicians, appears very nearly with the lowest known rate, or that which prevails in villages, and it is scarcely probable that such rate should so agree without being the true one. For a musician to belong to the last class of human life, is very credible, when it is considered that eminence can only be attained by close mental devotion to an exalted science, and unremitting application to its practical acquirement, which abstraction would interrupt and intemperance destroy. "The mean age of musicians, born since 1690, is 673 years, or two years greater than those born before 1690, from which it might be conveniently concluded, that the moderns were longer lived than the ancients. The case is precisely the reverse, at least for ages above 50, to which alone the materials are applicable. The expectation of life at the age of 60 of the ancients were nearly 15 years, of the modern musicians 133. The materials (limited as they are) from which these conclusions are drawn, support the doctrine, that the mortality of the moderns is less at middle, but greater at advanced age, than the mortality of the ancients. Dr. Caspar, of Berlin, in his late very interesting work on the duration of human life, has given the following conclusions: Medium longevity. Clergymen Clerks Farmers Military men Lawyers Artists Medical men 65 62 61 61 59 58 57 56 The results of the other classes, with respect to their united ages, and the average of each, are— This calculation was made most probably in Prussia. Dr. Caspar's view of longevity are not only highly interesting but, if correct, may lead to many important conclusions. He maintains that 1. The female sex enjoys, at every period or epoch of life, except at puberty, at which epoch the mortality is greater among young females-a greater longevity than the male sex. 2. Pregnancy and labour occasion, indeed, a considerable loss of life, but this loss disappears or is lost in the general mass. 3. The so-called climacteric periods of life do not seem to have any influence on the longevity of either sex. 4. The medium duration of life at this present time (1835), is in Russia, about 21 years; in Prussia, 29; in Switzerland, 34; in France, 35; in Belgium, 36; and in England, 38 years. 5. The medium duration of life has, in recent times, increased very greatly in most cities of Europe. 6. In reference to the influence of professional occupations in life, it seems that clergymen are on the whole, the longest, and medical men are the shortest livers. Military men are nearly between the two extremes, but yet, proportionably they more frequently than others reach very advanced years. 7. The mortality is very generally greater in manufacturing than in agricultural districts. 8. Marriage is decidedly favourable to longevity. 9. The mortality among the poor is always greater than among the wealthier classes. 10. The mortality in a population appears to be always proportionate to its fecundity as the number of births increases, so does the number of deaths at the same time. If this last assertion be correct, Malthus's doctrine must have been idle. It appears that in general more males are born than females -this difference has been attributed to the age of the parents; when the mother is older than the father the female offspring are more numerous—the same is observed when both parents have attained an advanced age-but when the father's age exceeds that of the mothers', sons are chiefly the result of their union, it has been also observed that widowers are most frequently blessed with daughters. Quetelet has very justly observed that the laws which preside over the development of man, and modify all his actions, are in general the result of his organization, of his years, his state of independence, the surrounding institutions, local influence, and an infinity of other causes, difficult to ascertain, and many of which, most probably, never can be known. Still if we admit the fact, our wellbeing, in a great measure, rests in our own hands, as the progress of our intellectual attainments may gradually enable us to improve our condition, in most of the points to which we have alluded; and Buffon has observed that we know not to what extent man may perfect his nature, both in a moral and a physical point of view.' Still the laws of our organization, and which regulate life, appear to be beyond human speculation; and it has been observed that, under ordinary circumstances, we are ruled by a harmonizing system tending to equalize society despite its institutions. Thus, births, marriages, and deaths, appear regulated on a certain scale in proportions singularly similar. This circumstance is rendered obvious by the following tables of nativity at Amsterdam. A statistical result much similar, was made also in Paris in the Bureau des Longitudes, as appears by the following return : 1709 15116 14414 29530 1831 954 755 In these statements, of which many to the same effect might be produced, it is singular that the number of still-born infants bears such a regular proportion with the nativity of living ones. The proportion of deaths to births is also strangely regular, despite the difference of climate, and institutions, and the state of medical science in various countries, as will appear manifest by the following scales: While such a regular proportion prevails in births and deaths, a still more singular law seems to regulate the commission of crimes, of which the following registers of the cases brought to trial in France is a proof. The criminal statistics of France have produced the following calculation: From 7000 to 7300 criminals are tried every year, out of which number 61 out of 100 are found guilty; 170,000 offenders are charged with minor offences and misdemeanors, of whom 85 in the 100 are condemned to various punishments, and the greatest annual calculation which Quetelet remarks in an annual budget, paid much more regularly than taxes, is as follows: The following curious table has been drawn of the causes that excited to the commission of murder and the means resorted to: *On this very curious subject the reader may consult the various sta tistical works of Quetelet. |