International Institute 0°]
ies, whicl has Just concluded its sessions in Tokyo, has been, 02 the whole, quite a dull, even though scientific," gathering in so far as the lay-man is concerned. Aca sionally, however, topics have been discussed of interest to all. One of these was in regard to the probable population of China and, yesterday, another interesting question as to why Westerners outlive Orientals was threshed out.
The debate was initiated by Mr. 4. C. Dunlop, one of the British delegates, who cited the scarcity of centenarians in the Orient. This fact was admitted by the Japanese and Chinese delegates and the corollary step of what the reason for this could be was taken up.
This brought about interesting eelyings into the past and it was pointed out that, only 30 years ago. Westerners were much more short-lived tuan they are to-day. Science has contributed to add years to th—as it has added inches to their statures—and the immensely-improved sanitary conditions and the higher standard of living were Cited as the principal reasons for a greater and growing proportion of the people of Western Europe and North America enjoying a longer life than their parents did.
The case of Japan was particular ly dealt with and, according to a tabulated average of the span of life in Japan, presented by Mr. Saito, Chief of the Bureau of the Department of ions, it' was found out that Americans and Britishers were far superior to the Japanese from babyhood to old age. In more recent years, while the world was gazing admiringly at, the strides made by Japan in elevating herself to a modern state, the mortality in Japan, according to the figures prepared by Mr. Saito, reached its height, and this phenomenon was explained as due to the rapidity with which the country was transformed from a backward agricultural state to an industrial one, a process that necessitated the shelve img of proper sanitary devices to some period in the future. The Japanese admitted that, sanitarily, their country is far and away behind others, and those who have lived any lengthy period of years in Japan will rejoice at: this semiofficial admission, hoping that it is the prelude to the. installation. off proper, modern sanitary-devices and to. be very heavy.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.