474 
not fubdued by it; and that neither he 
nor the public has fuffred any other 
_ Jofs than that of the delay. And, to fay 
nothing more, the local advantages of the 
gentleman in whom Mr. Bachelor has de- 
lervedly found a zealous friend, have, in 
all probability, more than compenfated the 
firit failure of fwece!s, much as I regreited 
it Iam, Sir, 
Yours fincerely, 
Cape. LorrFrT. 
Woodbridge, 
Dee. 6, 1804. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
AS ycu have formerly admitted fome 
remarks cn the fubje& of longevity* 
you will perhaps find room for a cortinu- 
ation of them. 
Longevity does not appear to be. re- 
firiéted to any particular climates; for re- 
markable inftances of it may be produced 
both from very hot and very cold coun- 
tries, though certainly they appear to 
have been more numerous in temperate 
climes. It is highly probable, that the hu- 
man frame is fo conftituted, as to adapt 
itfelf eafily to the atmofphere and pecu- 
liarities of the country in which it receives 
life, or even into which it is afterwards 
removed. ‘Thus France and Sweden are 
countries differing materially in foil and 
climate, the general mode of life of the in- 
habitants is likewife very different, yet the 
ufual rate of mortality has been found 
nearly the fame in both, being about one 
in thiity-five per annum. Men can live 
equally well under very different circum- 
Rances ; it is fudden changes that are in- 
jurious, and temperate climates, being lefs 
liable to fuch changes, are found to be 
moft favourable to the continuance of life. 
There are, however, in almoft every coun- 
try, particular diftri€ts more favourable to 
the health of the inhabitants than others ; 
and the caufe of this fuperiority is chiefly 
a free circulation of air, uncontaminated 
with the noxious varours and exhalations 
which deftroy its purity in other parts : 
thus hilly diftriéts are almoft univertally 
found more licalthy than low and marfhy 
qiaces. 
Of 145 perfons who are recorded to 
have lived to the age of 120 years and up- 
wards, more than half were inhabitants 
of Great Britain, viz. 
63 of England and Wales, 
23 of Scotland, 
29 of Ireland, 
30 of Other countries. 
* Monthly Magazine, Vol, iv- page 346, 
and Vol. viii. page 794. 
Remarks on Longevity. 
_[Jan. 15 
The number of imftances in Scotland, 
compared with thcfe of England, appears 
tc have been more than twice the propor- 
tion of the population, which certainly 
feems to fhew that the climate of the for- 
mer is very favourable to long life. 
It is a faét pretty well eftablifhed, that 
more males are born than females ; it is 
alfo well known, that, in almoft every form 
which animal life affumes, the male ap- 
pears to pofiefs a fomewhat fuperior de- 
gree of bodily ftrength to the female. 
_ From thefe circumftances it might be ex- 
pected that the number of males living 
would be found greater than that of fe- 
males, and that in general they would en- 
joy a greater duration of life: the con- 
trary, however, has been afferted, and evi- 
dence produced which appeared to juftify 
fueh an opinion; but it feems probable, 
that in forming the accounts from which 
the number of females living appeared 
greater than that of the males, futhcient- 
attention was not paid to the number of 
males engaged chiefly abroad in the army 
and navy, and cf the emigrations to fo- 
reign parts being chiefly of males. ‘That 
the apparent deficiency in this. country 
arofe from thele caufes, is, I think, thewn 
by the refult of the late enumeration ; 
in which, including foldiers and feamen,the 
totals of males and females appeared nearly 
equal, the latter exceeding the former by. 
lefs than one in a hundred; a difference 
that may be eafily accounted for from the 
number of males who leave this country 
for the Eaft and Weft Indies, and other 
foreign parts. In America, which re- 
ceives a confiderable part of the emigrants 
who reduce the male population of the 
European flates, the total of males ap-. 
pears greater than that of the females, 
being nearly in the proportion of one hun- 
dred males to ninety-fix females; fo that 
it is highly probable, if corre&t accounts 
could be had of the real number of males: 
and females belonging to any country, they 
would be found nearly equal ; and the 
greater number of males borz would ap-— 
pear a psovifion for the greater defiruc-. 
tion of male lives by war, navigation, and 
various cafualties. ‘That the male confti-: 
tution is naturally more durable than that 
of females, may be inferred from the pre- 
‘ceding account of 145 perfons who have 
attained unufually great age, more than 
two-thirds of the number being males; 
but the greater mortality from adventi- 
tious caufes, which brings the numbers of © 
each fex near to equality, renders the ex- 
pectations of life likewife nearly equal. 
Longevity has been fuppofed to be ina 
great 
