LIFE. 
o tilers, case* will frequently occur in the 
adjustment of pecuniary concerns, in which 
it is desirable to be able to form an estimate 
of the duration of life, and as it is evidently 
a subject on which certainty cannot be at- 
tained, we must be content with that species 
of knowledge which rests on probability. 
This degree of knowledge, which is the 
limit of our acquaintance, with many other 
important facts, is, in a comprehensive view 
of this subject, infinitely more useful and pro- 
per than more positive knowledge would be. 
At whatever period the world was first 
inhabited, there is undoubted evidence that 
for at least 3000 years past the general dura- 
tion of human life has been much the same 
as it now is ; nor has any great difference 
been observed between the inhabitants of 
different climates, the negro of Africa (in 
some instances at least) attaining to as great 
age as the European. The human frame 
appears to adapt itself with little difficulty 
to the atmosphere and local peculiarities of 
the country in wliichit is born, or even into 
which it is afterwards removed. Thus not 
only the children of persons who have re- 
moved from Great Britain to different parts 
of the continent of North America, but also 
the emigrants tliemselves, have been found 
to live as long as in the former country. 
Men can live equally well under very dif- 
ferent circumstances, it is sudden changes 
that are injurious to the human frame ; and 
temperate climates being less liable to such 
changes are found to be most favourable to 
the duration of life. There are however in 
almost every country, particular districts in 
which the inhabitants are found to live 
longer than in other situations, which pro- 
ceeds chiefly from a free circulation of air,^ 
uncontaminated by the noxious vapours and 
exhalations which destroy its purity in other 
parts ; thus hilly districts are almost uni- 
versally found to furnish more instances of 
long life, than low and marshy situations. 
The knowledge of the duration of human 
life in general, and of its probable conti- 
nuance at all ages, has been ascertained 
with sufficient correctness for all practical 
purposes from the observations which have 
been made on the bills of mortality of dif- 
ferent places. Dr. Halley formed a table 
of the probabilities of life from the registers 
of the births and burials of the inhabitants 
of the city of Bfeslawq the capital of the 
duchy of Silesia in Germany, from the year 
1687 to 1691. A similar table was formed 
by Mr. Thomas Simpson from the London 
bills of mortality, from 1728 to 1737; and 
other tables of the same kind have been 
since published by M. Dupr6 de St. Maur 
M. Kerseboom, M. de Parcieux, Dr. Price' 
and others, from which the following are se- 
lected. 
TABLE I. Shewing the Probabilities of the Duration of Human Life at all Ages, formed 
from the Register of Mortality at Northampton, for 46 Years from 1735 to 1780. 
lAge. 
Persons 
living. 
Decrem. 
of Life. 
Age. 
Persons 
living. 
Decrem. 
of Life. 
Age. 
Persons 
living. 
Decrem. 
of Life. 
1 Age. 
Persons 
living. 
Decrem. 
of Life. 
1 ° 
I ® 
1 ^ 
1 ^ 
5 
6 
7 
8 
9 
10 
11 
12 
13 
14 
15 
16 
I 17 
18 
19 
20 
21 
22 
23 
24 
11650 
8650 
7283 
6781 
6446 
6249 
6065 
5925 
5815 
5735 
5675 
5623 
5573 
5523 
5473 
5423 
5373 
5320 
5262 
5199 
5132 
5060 
4985 
4910 
4835 
3000 
1367 
502 
335 
197 
184 
140 
110 
80 
60 
52 
50 
50 
50 
50 
50 
53 
58 
63 
67 
72 
75 
75 
75 
75 
25 
26 
27 
28 
29 
30 
31 
32 
33 
34 
35 
36 
37 
38 
39 
40 
41 
42 
43 
44 
45 
46 
47 
48 
4760 
4685 
4610 
4535 
4460 
4385 
4310 
4235 
4160 
4085 
4010 
3935 
3860 
3785 
3710 
3635 
3559 
3482 
3404 
3326 
3248 
3170 
3092 
3014 
75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
,75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
75 
76 
77 , 
78 
78 , 
78 
78 
78 
78 
78 
49 
50 
51 
52 
53 
54 
55 
56 
57 
58 
59 
60 
61 
62 
63 
64 
65 
66 
67 
68 
69 
70 
71 
72 
2936 
2857 
2776 
269v 
2612 
2530 
2448 
2366 
2284 
2202 
2120 
2038 
1956 
1874 
1793 
1712 
1632 
1552 
1472 
1392 
1312 
1232 
11.52 
1072 
79 ' 
81 
82 
82 
82 
82 
82 
82 
82 
82 
82 
82 
82 
81 
81 
80 
80 
80 
80 
80 
80 
80 
80 
80 
73 
74 
75 
76 
77 
78 
79 
80 
81 
82 
83 
84 
85 
86 
87 
88 
89 
90 
91 
92 
93 
94 
95 
96 
992 
912 
832 
752 
675 
602 
534 
469 
406 
346 
289 
234 
186 
145 
111 
83 
62 
46 
34 
24 
16 
'9 
4 
1 
80 
80 
80 
77 J 
73 1 
68 1 
65 8 
63 8 
60 i 
57 I 
55 I 
48 1 
41 I 
34 1 
28 
21 
16 
12 
10 
8 
7 
5 
3 
1 
