AN ESS A y ON L ONGE VI TY. r 1 9 



longer lived than unmarried ;^ and that the clergy, 

 medical men, lawyers, and other classes of the com- 

 munity stand in the order given in § I. as to lon- 

 gevity. 



18. Interpretation by the Law. 



The interpretation of these facts in a general way, 

 according to the law that high evolution and small 

 expenditure favour longevity, is not difficult ; but it is 

 not possible, nor is the endeavour useful in the pre- 

 sent state of knowledge, to explain in detail all the 

 possible inferences. 



The first two sets of facts tend to prove induc- 

 tively, though the observational basis is slender, 

 that the potential longevity of man is the same for 

 the various races, if we exclude abnormally wretched 

 and degraded tribes. Perhaps we should have to 

 exclude thus the Homo palceolithicus of Mr. Dawkins. 

 Keener scrutiny seems to indicate a small difference 

 in favour of European civilization, but this is un- 

 certain. Observations agree well with the deductive 

 conclusions with which we started when speaking of 

 the nature of races and varieties in the species man. 

 The highest civilization, corresponding to the highest 

 evolution, appears to give a somewhat increased poten- 

 tial longevity. 



' Dr. Farr placed in the writer's hands a paper by him on ' The 

 Influence of Marriage on Mortality in France.'j which does not, however, 

 touch on longevity. 



