Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1855-08-22
LENGTH OF HUMAN LIFE.

Al article IN late number o. BI lckw sod's
Magazine, on the above subject. holds out the
idea that tn, age OF man shoald De one hun
dred years Instead Of three score and tn Tho
suthor ssys: We do no. simply die; We
usually kill ourselves.s Our habits. our pas
slons. our anxicties Of Iody and niud-t6ese
sh@Tten our lives, aud prevent - fiJm reash-
ing the natural kEait Of hu:aRn oxis.sncs" /"
Gluttcny, he ssse Is, destroys more lives than
intcnperate drinking and yet, :" i.,i Is the
iasnlon 10 restrict the term s0brie;y 10 the
moderate use of liquors s-i.er Ii.', 10 doubt
implies moderation in all things-iu eating,
irinking, and The enjoyment of all the pleas
ures of lie Bot although w have re "a and
heard much II moderation in ating and orii X
ing, tire difficulty has slwsys lsen In cur
minds spectiTg the rue sta daId Il m.derr-
'ion Wnat is II! WaO will define it1 TIE
standfrd suitable FOR one is no. eui, able Gr
another NO-teEper fn:c l. ~ things But
= men can or should set u, hi own sia:a ard
or hi. neighbar. And yet it may tru.y be
and, that genera! rules for TEN, eraEee nay
ne set down, which, i; followed, wJuld be of
i'Om use benefit ;-sJch a sct {, eat 80 much
as will unft he mind for its usu Il exertioas;
or so much as will maize the body heavy ana
torpid; not 20 pass hastily frol0 cue extreme
Ut living 10 another, but 90 char e. slowly and
cautiously, TO eat plain and wiOesline loJd,
diid 20 proportion ats quantity to the tempera-
nent, the ge, the st Tength of the eater; net
10 allow the appetite for food and drink 10
regulate the quantity to be taken. but expe-
rience, void OF sensual desire. These rules. if
iollowed, will tend to promote health, AID
,hus lead to a greater length Of days and yeas
ih mans existence. StAl there Is a natural
period fer Ran 70 exist, aud neither food.
rink, nor sObriety can place him beyond that.
We find that each species of animal hss its
pOuUdary oflife, and 50 has man He has his
infancy. youth, middle age, I'D age, and
'hen comes the winding sheet aRd the nsrTow
house.
But how long does his existence lssta how
many years encircle his natural life These
are important questions W. fad that thirty
years Is considered 10 be a generation-thati il,
the whole world is repeopled every thirty years
with new race, and q like number departs
rom it Ia that period But no person cotsid
"is tfirty years as the netCTal term Of mans
Iife-seyenty years being generally set down
that limit. A book however recently pub
hshed in Paris, by Mr.. Flourens. which has
created 10 small sensation ia that city p'a.es
Old age at eighty-fye years, AID the CO npiete
natural life Of man at about a centL " lie
pieces first manic, d at seventy, instea of Did
sc at that period We sre inclined ID accept
his view Of the question - the most correct
ne. Button, the natu ralist. enteftai ei such
an opinion. The rule Of life laid 5own by MIN
Is, that animals live from SIX 10 seven times
the number Of years required 10 complete
their growth-such the horse, which con-
pletes its growth at four years, lives from
twenty ~ twenty-four yelrs; and a IN u who
t'kes eighteen yeals t. reach hi iuiI growth,
ny live more tlan a hundred Jears. There
are but lew men who live . a hundred wears,
a4d jus: ss few horses thai live 40 twenty .oui;
but that affords 10 reas'a Why laaay N =, -
4iaGI -. nep "a q sOurd constr I.s.s. LAY
-Ot live for q cei:tdry Tae taSle e II. Ficu-
rens .elating g lif r-'l,-.s