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THE SCIENTIFIC MONTHLY 



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IS 20 25 . 5 40 45 50 55 60 65 70 



YEARS Or AGE 



96 95 100 



FIG. 4. COMPARING THE EXPECTATION OF LIFE OF ANCIENT EGYPTIANS WITH THAT 

 OF PRESENT DAY AMERICANS. Plotted from Pearson's and Glover's data 



Egyptian line crosses the modern American line, and from that period 

 on the individuals living in Egypt at about the time of the birth of 

 Christ could look forward to a longer remaining duration of life, on 

 the average, than can the American of the present day. Pearson's com- 

 ment on this fact is worth quoting. He says: "In the course of those 

 centuries man must have grown remarkably fitter to his environment, 

 or else he must have fitted his environment immeasurably better to 

 himself. No civilized community of to-day could show such a curve 

 as the civilized Romano-Egyptians of 2,000 years ago exhibit. We 

 have here either a strong argument for the survival of the physically 

 fitter man or for the survival of the civilly fitter society. Either man 

 is constitutionally fitter to survive to-day, or he is mentally fitter, i. e., 

 better able to organize his civic surroundings. Both conclusions point 

 perfectly definitely to an evolutionary progress. . . . That the ex- 

 pectation of life for a Romano-Egyptian over 68 was greater than for 

 a modern English man or woman is what we might expect, for with the 

 mortality of youth and of middle age enormously emphasized only 

 the very strongest would survive to this age. Out of 100 English alive 

 at 10 years of age 39 survive to be 68; out of 100 Romano-Egyptians 

 not 9 survived. Looking at these two curves we realize at a glance 

 either the great physical progress of man, which enables him far more 

 effectually to withstand a hostile environment, or the great social and 

 sanitary progress he has made which enables him to modify the en- 

 vironment. In either case we can definitely assert that 2,000 years 

 has made him a much 'fitter' being. In this comparison it must be re- 

 membered that we are not placing a civilized race against a barbaric 

 tribe, but comparing a modern civilization with one of the highest 

 types of ancient civilization." 



Macdonell was able to continue this investigation, on much more 



