The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1823-08-07
Disretlanp
GENERAL RULES.
For s'fainisy Tong life.
BY A PHYsIcIAN.

| abridged from the New Monthly Magaxine.)
The way 20 long life i,, like that to ever
lasting happiness, q, duous snd diHicuh. There
| are macy rules. that sre dissYteeabie, TO ba
| observed cod these even IL Is useless TO oh
| serve, uoless . person be descended from
| healthy psrenrs, and have brovgh, into the
\ world With him . sound copsiilutioo. will
/ suppose that this is the csse end then tho
| fast caro- Of him who desires 10 attain old sgc,
| mus, DO, in early youth, MOTTO waste or exhaust
his energies in any ssy Whatever. With this
view he must avoid too severe bodily exes~
tion, by which he gill ei,her bring on him.
| sell in6tmi,ies OF premature see. I can new.
| or zee, but with psin, how the conn peo-
pie keep yooog children ct isborious employ
| oents, to which their strength 10 inadequate.
Young colts are spared and not set to work
I'LL they have sttainsdN q certain age, when
their strength Is proportionste TO the labor
required Of them because their owners
know, from experience, that they are spoiled,
end become premsturely old and unservicea-
BILE, unless this indoigence be allowed them.
Il is most unreasonable that we should spare
children less then horses; for though they
a'e not so dear ss ,hoss animals, yet they arc
OF Ear greater importance TO tho state; and
parents oOgh, no, 10 forget tibet their chill
dren are par, Of themselves, though existing
independently Of tbem, snd that II Is, therefore
their du,y to be as ,eoder Of them 80 Of their
own persons.
All too lively sensations, the too free uso
Of the senses, violent passions, excesses Of ev-
cry kind, by whs,ever nsme they may be call.
ed, severe exertion OF the actual faculties, as
siduous study, deep meditation, and nocturnal
VIZ IA h. vi Al xprak kan n
powots, and bring on premature old ego. In-
dolenee and total inactivity, either OF tho cor
po,eai or mental socrgics, are, nevertheless,
equally to be avoided. Bacon has vel, ex.
pressed this where he ssys, "tbe vital spirits
must not be left to s,agoate I'LL they clog up
their vesssls; neither ought they TO ne vast
ed or 90 expended as to injute those vesseis."
Experience confirms iocontestsbly tho truth
OF this doctrine. II 10 proverbisi, that chill
dreo remarkable for precocity Of ir,ellcct OF
/ requirements do prens'u'e'y. Boechsve
knew boy Who was Q miracle Of oradnions
but sca,ceiv pn.is.d hi. Efs..a,h ysss- An
o,hor learned youth, who passed night and
day In study, died In his nineteenth year,
without any previous illnoss, merely of pre-
mature sge. Dsbsuehssy, DOT war, pot sn
cod to tho life Of Alexander the Great, In tho
f1wer of manhood. Most OF those who have
exceeded tho term OF humsn Longevity were
thoughtles,, easy, insensiblo persons, who
wore in no hurry With the labor to wh,Lh
/ poverty doomed them, and strangers to alt
kind Of excessos. Such % have cultivated
tho sciences merely for their smosemen,, and
| opened their hears ooly to tho gen'ler pas
,ion., have, In consequence, S,,sined advane-
ed ago. "Look YOU" says q writor OF tho
a hS MI ia xgh have taat
all Their teeth: lot thom relate TO you theie
course Of life, and they will tell you how mer-
~ they were 10 their youth: you will find
that their anger dvelIs rather IN the tongue
thsn IN the heart. These have enjoyed avo-
| rablo gales, and have reached tho haven
where they never would hive arrived either
with the toie' :alm, or with violent tempes,ss
Whoever wishes to become old must endeav--
or TO resemble them In this point"
Go through the whole catalogue Of excess
es In pleasure, snd you will had that they have
precipitated their vo,a,ies into o premature
grave. Boethsvs Justly observed, that few
who are intem2etate 10 the use OF wine, BRAN
dy, snd Other sp,fituous liquors, survive tho
sge Of fity. With these vo,sries OF Bscchus
tho vo,aties Of Venus proceed hari hassHs
and i'm media,sly alter them come The immOds
ets,e Gators. Plato and Socrates gtew old
upon vety frugal fsre and Maimenides. tho
Arabian physicisp, ssy', that Il Is necessary "a
avoid overiosdiag the stomach With too much
food /: for though q person might tske the
most Wholesome ailments, yet h he we're to
,.ke 100 much Of them Lo could not remain
in good health. Bread and wafer s's an sd-
mirable die, for those who would rival Me-
thusale N 10 Longevity; and fss'ing itself 10 an
excellent promoter Of their views.
A regular wst Of life, in the mos, eompre-
hen,ive sense OF the term, 10 absolutely re.
oui,i,s for those who would f,tsr themselves
with the hope Of living to DO old. Thsy
mus, live in q free, serene, end healthy s'rs
That Of high mountains 10 beet suited to this
object. In noun sinous countries you meet
with persons vergins upon . century and q
half, though living 10 poverty snd subsis,iog
upon the cosfseH fare. .
In respect to bodily exercise, j hs,e slres-
dy observed, that It tpu-t be modetsts, other