[PUGACHEV]

When I read statistics on life expectances I always wonder how higher infant motality rates in the past might bring down the average. To say that the life expectancy was 47 years in 1902 might not be really that meaningful if you had survived you childhood. In fact, if we assume that the weaker children died early -- for lack of modern care -- maybe those that survived were really tough and more likely to live longer than an individual in our own times.

[Fiddlstix]

When I read statistics on life expectances I always wonder how higher infant motality rates in the past might bring down the average.

Also a Very Good Point
Back in thise days, almost anyone who "made it" beyond their 12-13 birthday had a reasonably good chance to survive 'till 70-80 years of age.
It was the very high infant mortality rate that made the averages stay low
You must remember, we are talking about a whole 'nother period of history
nothing like we now know it

[driftless]

You are correct. I read somewhere that if you made it to twenty in those days, your chances of making it to seventy were pretty good. But that's like the joke about how can you quickly make two million dollars. Punch line: first you have to make one million.