The Feliciana Democrat. (Clinton, La.) 1855-186?, 1855-04-21
Enlarging urtn The Span Of Life.
a CURIOUS CHAPTER UPON LONGEVITY.

Monsieur P. Flourens, the author oil
many learned works on Physiological sci.
ea,e, has lately published at Paris book
which has excited great sensation, inasmuch
az it clearly shows that man may without
difficulty attain the age of a hundred years.
70 accomplish this, sobrietyis of course es-
sential. NJ. Flourens agrees with Button,
that the duration of animal life may be
measured by that of the time of growing.
lie says, "rne union of the bones and the
epiphyses is effected in man at twenty years
OF age. In the camel, it takes place at
eight; in the horse at five; in the lion at
four; in the dog at two; in the cat, at eigh-
teen months; in the rabbit, at twelve, &C.
Man, being twenty years in growing, lives
five times twenty ycars-that is to say, one
hundred years; the camel is eight years in
growing, and lives five times eight years
that is to say, forty years; the horse is five
Years in growing, and he lives five times
I'VE years-that is to say, twenty-five years;
and so with the Others" NJ. Flourens d.
vides life as follows: Life is divided into
two nearly equal halves-one of growth
and the other of decline. Each Of these
halves is divided into two others, and hence
the four ages of life, infancy, youth, virility
and old age. Each of these ages is subdi-
vided into two ages. There is first and
second infancy, first and second youth, a
first and second verile age and a first and
second old age. 1t isnot easy to determine
the precise duration of each of these ages,
and SURFACES, but propose the following
duration: For the first, infancy, from the
birth up to ten years-that is, infancy prop
erly so called; and for the second, from ten
to twenty is adolescence; the first youth
extends from twenty to thirty, and the sec
onl from thirty to forty; the first virie age
extends from forty to ffty-ive, and the sec,
onl from fifty five to seventy. The virile
age taken altogether is the best of man
it is literally the virile epoch of his life
At seventy, the first Old age commences and
it extends to cighty.five; and at eighty-fve
the second and last old age begins. pro.
long the duration of the first infancy to
ten years, because it is only from nine to
ten that the second duration is terminated.
lpro ong adolescence to twenty years, be-
case it is only at twenty years that the de-
ve!opmcnt Of the bones is terminated, and
with it the growth Of the body in length.
prolong youth to forty years, becaus4it is
only toward that age that the increase of
the body in bulk terminates. About forty,
the body does not, properly speaking, be-
come enlarged f.; the augmentation of volume
which then takes place is not veritable
organic development, but simply an aecu.
mutation of fat. After the growth Or to
speak more exactly, after the development
in length, and after that in bulk, find a
thirl, which is not mentioned by physiol.
osists, but which seems to me not less
real; | mean the internal and profound
movement which acts in the most secret
tissues OF our parts, and which making
tho parts more firm and perfect, renders
a functions more assured, and the entire
organism more complete. l call this inmgo-
ra'i1n, AMI it takes place from forty to fifty
e2r4. Once effected, it maintains itself to
tue age of sixty-fve or seventy. At sew.
enty, Old age commences. But, physiolog