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 en- 

 deavor 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 102-V years. Males. — 

 Sixteen returns ; average age, about 1024; years ; respective ages, 108, 

 105, 104, 3 aged 103, 4 aged 102, 2 aged 101, 101£, 3 aged 100. Fe- 

 males. — Thirty-six returns ; average age, about 1024; years ; respective 

 ages, 2 aged 108, 106, 3 aged 105, 3 aged 104, 4 aged 103, 102^, 3 aged 

 102, 7 aged 101, lOOf , 100^, 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, 1004;, 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. 8£ in. ; one 

 also returned as short. Females. — Twenty-six returns ; average about 

 5 ft. 3 in. 



"Weight. Males. — Seven returns ; average nearly 138 lbs. Fe- 

 males. — 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, 22; indifferent, 17; bad, 9 

 deaf, 1. 



Joints. — Forty-seven returns ; natural, 37 ; stiff, 4 ; deformed, 3 



