INFLUENCE OF MARRIAGE ON HEALTH.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 225, 28 June 1872, Page 3

INFLUENCE OF MARRIAGE ON HEALTH.

At a recent meeting of the French Academy of Medicine, M. Bertillon read an elaborate paper on the influence of marriage, the duration of life, and on intellectual and moral diseases. His statistics chiefly apply to France, Belgium, and Holland. From 25 to 30 years of ago the married men die at the rate of 6, the unmarried 10', and the widowers 22 per 1000 per annum. From 30 to 35 years of ago the deaths amongst these classes are respectively 7, 11, and 194 per 1000.. At greater ages the same favorable difference exists in the ease of Benedicts versus Celibates. It is curious that widowers are more likely to die than men of the same age who have never married. The exceptions to the Sow mortality amongst Benedicts are only of those who marry very early in life. It is rather startling to youthful worshippers at the Shrine of Hymen to be informed that married men from 18 to 20 die as fast as men aged from 69 to 70. Amongst women marriage is not so favorable to longevity. No effect is observed until after the ago of 25 years, from 30 to 31 die at the annual rate of 21 per 1000; wives in the ratio of 9 per 2000. The mortality is greater in the case of wives under 25 years than of spinsters below that age After 40 years the longevity of married women is much greater than that of unmanned females of corresponding ages. Middle-aged widows do not live so long as middle-aged spinsters or wives. M. Bertillon shows that, according to the doctrine of chances, or rather probabilities, G, man who marries at 25 years is likely to live 40 years longer, whilst his chance of living so long if he does not marry is reduced by five years. On the other hand, a woman who marries at 25 is likely to attain the age of 65, while if she re main single she will only attain the age of 36 years. According to Bertillon, crime is most rife amongst the unmaiiied, and least among the married. The widowers and widows are not nearly so bad as those who are unwedded, but they are not (of course we are speaking of averages) quite so virtuous as those who are in the holy estate of wedlock. On the whole, M. Bertillon’s statistics are most cheering to intending Benedicts.—Choralum Review.