Benefit or Friendl?/ Societies. 73 



actually occurred, but of this no perfectly satisfactory evidence had, till lately, 

 been obtained. The three Swedish Tallies, although perhaps not applicable 

 to this country, were always acknowledged to be formed from the most correct 

 data, being founded upon observations neither confined to a short period 

 of time nor to a small extent of territory. The two latter of these tables ex- 

 hibit an increased duration of life in that country ; and all the three represent 

 the rate of mortality there as ])eing much less than that shewn by the Nor- 

 thampton Table. Although the Carlisle Table gives a still lower rate than the 

 Swedish, yet, as the observations from which it had been deduced were more 

 complete than any which had previously existed in Britain, this table was 

 thought l)y many to exhibit more accurately than any otlier the duration of 

 human life in this kingdom. 



The difference of mortality in the sexes, and also the disproportion of male 

 and female births, were found by Dr Price, from very extensive investiga- 

 tions, to be as follows : 



According to the registers of several large towns in Germany, it appeared 

 that the still-born males and females were as three of the former to two of 

 the latter ; and from a very extensive collection of facts derived from the 

 registers of various places, both in this country and on the Continent, it was 

 ascertained that there were also more males every where born alive than fe- 

 males, — the total number of males born in those places, during certain periods, 

 being 2,388,950, and that of females 2,271,201, or in the proportion of 20 to 

 IJ) ; and throughout France, in the ratio of 18 to 17- But from equally satis, 

 factory obsei*vations, it was likewise ascertained, that, from some peculiarity 

 inimical to life in the male constitution, the males were reduced to a lesser 

 number than the females before the expiration of the first year of age. In some 

 situations also, more than a half, and in others more than a third or fourth, 

 of both males and females were found to die before the fifth year of age. 



In large towns, the births were fewer, in proportion to the marriages, than 

 in the country ; and the mortality was so great, especially among children, that 

 had it not been for a continual influx from the country, the population of large 

 towns would have rapidly decreased. 



The mortality of males continues to be greater at all ages, throughout 

 the whole period of life, than that of females, — the difference being, in Dr 

 Price's time, least in the whole kingdom of Sweden, greater at Chester, and 

 greatest at Stockholm. The number of deaths or '* decrements among males, 

 increase regularly through every period of life, from 10 to 75; but among 

 females, this increase is interruj)ted for a few years after 45. This cannot 

 be an accidental irregularity, the numbers being too great, and the period 

 for which the observations have been made too long, to admit of such an 

 irregularity. Probably, therefore, it must be accounted for in the folloAving 

 manner. From the age of 30 to 35, the number of manied, ^d conse- 

 quently of child-bearing women, is greater than at any other ages ; and this 

 raises the decrements in that division of life. After 35, this number is dimi- 

 nished, and the decrements fall. Between 40 and 45, the critical periods come 

 on, and the decrements are raised again ; but after 45, the number of deaths 

 arising from hence becoming less, the decrements become also less, but con- 

 tinue afterwards to increase, with increasing years, till they become greatest 

 at 74 or 75. It is, however, remarkable, that notwithstanding the peculiar 

 dangers to which the lives of females are subjected, from the causes just men- 

 tioned, there are no ages at which a smaller proporticm of them does not die 

 than of males, except the ages in which the number of deliveries is greatest, 

 and that even tJien the probabilities of living among them are nearly equal to 

 those among males*." It may likewise be mentioned, that females are found 

 to live, upon an average, from 3 to 4 years longer than males ; and married 

 women longer than unmarried. 



But however accurately the rate of male and female mortality may be dedu- 

 ced from observations made among the population at large, it must be evident 

 that such a rate will not correspond with the experience of Life Assurance Socie- 

 ties, whose members must be all in good health at the period of their admission. 

 Accordingly, in almost every such society, the actual number of deaths among 



• Price on Reversionary Payments, vol. ii r« 408, 7th Edit. 1812. 



