[Still Thinking]

You have to understand what life expectancy means. A life expectancy of 30 years doesn't mean that large numbers of people died at 30. It is a statistical expected livelyhood, taking into account all deaths at all ages. Infancy and early childhood are statistically more perilous than early adulthood and middle-age, especially in the 18th century. In fact I believe many of the improvements in life expectancy during this century came from improved infant mortality. For those who survived childhood in the 1700's, I'm sure the typical lifespan was at least into the 60's.

[conservatism_IS_compassion]

How many of us would be alive today without 20^th century medicine? Not me . . .