INFLUENCE OF MARRIAGE ON DEATH-RATE. 265 



Yet few will suppose that such very youthful mar- 

 riages can exercise so singularly beneficial an effect. 



To many, Dr. Stark's conclusion may appear to be 

 a natural and obvious sequitur from the evidence upon 

 which it is founded. Admitting the facts and we see 

 no reason for doubting them it may appear at first 

 sight that we are bound to accept the conclusion that 

 matrimony is favorable to longevity. Yet the con- 

 sideration of a few parallel cases will suffice to show 

 how small a foundation the figures we have quoted 

 supply for such a conclusion. "What would be thought, 

 for example, of any of the following inferences? 

 Among hot-house plants there are observed a greater 

 variety and brilliancy of color than among those which 

 are kept in the open air, therefore the housing of 

 plants conduces to the splendor of their coloring. Or 

 again : The average height of Life Guardsmen is 

 greater than that of the rest of the male population, 

 therefore to be a Life Guardsman conduces to tallness 

 of stature. Or, to take an example still more closely 

 illustrative of Dr. Stark's reasoning the average lon- 

 gevity of noblemen exceeds that of untitled persons, 

 therefore to have a title is conducive to longevity ; or 

 to borrow his words, " to remain without a title is more 

 destructive to life than the most unwholesome trades, 

 or than residence in an unwholesome house or district, 

 where there has never been the most distant attempt 

 at sanitary improvement of any kind." 



12 



