r 



14 OF OLD AGE 



Many ufeful conclufions might be drawn froni 

 the above tables of M. Dupre. But I fhall con- 

 fine myfelf to thofe which regard the probabi- 

 lities of the duration of life. In the columns 

 tinder the years, 10, 20, 30, 40, 30, 60, 70, 80, 

 and other round numbers, as 25, ^^, &C. there 

 are, in the country-parifhes, more deaths than 

 in the preceding or fubfequent columns. This 

 is owing to the ages not being juftly regiftered, 

 mofl: country-people being unable to afcertain 

 their ages within lefs than two or three years. If 

 they die at 58 or 59, they are regiftered at 60, 

 and fo of other round numbers. But this irre- 

 gularity gives rife to no great inconvenience, as 

 it can eafily be corrected by the manner in 

 which the numbers fucceed each other in the 

 tables. 



It appears from the tables of the country-pa- 

 rifhes, that one half of the children die nearly 

 about the end of the fourth year ; but, from the 

 Paris table, 16 years are neceflary to produce 

 the fame effed:. This great difference proceeds 

 from a general practice of the Parifians, who 

 fend their children to be nurfed in the country, 

 w4iich neceffarily increafes the number of deaths 

 during the firfl; years of infancy. In the fol- 

 lowing calculation, I have eflimated the proba- 

 bilities of the duration of life from a combina- 

 tion of both tables ; which muli, therefore, 

 make a very near approach to the truth. 



TABLE, 



