The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-07-14
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Length Of Human Life.

An article in the last number OF Black
woods Magazine, on the above subject,
holds out the idea that the age of man should
be one hundred years instead of three score
and ten. The author says: ave do not
simply die; we usually kill ourselves. Our
habits, our passions, our anxiety of body and
mind; these shorten our lives, and prevent us
from reaching the natural limit of human
existence" GluttOny, lie asserts, destroys
mere lives than Incorporate drinking, and
yet, ait is the fashion to rcstict the term So
briefly to the moderate use of liquors." A
sober lite no doubt implies moderation in all
things-in eating. drinking. and in the enjoy
ment Of all the pleasures of life. But altho'
we have read and heard much of mode IA ton
in eating and in drinking, the difficulty has
always arisen in our minds respecting the
true standard of moderation. What is it
who will define it The standard suitable for
ono is not for another. No man can doubt
for a moment the benefits of moderation
temperance in all things. But no man can or
should set up his own standard for his neigh
Dor. And yet it may truly be said, that gem
cral rules for temperance may be set down.
which iffollowcd, would be Of immense ben.
eft; such as not to eat so much rs will unfit
the mind for its usual eXcrtions or So much
as will make the body heavy and torpid. Nor
to pas, hastily from one extreme of living to
",
to eat plain and whole some food, and to pro-
portion its quantity to the temperament. the
age, and strength ofthe eater. Not to allow
the appetite for food or drink to regulate the
quantity to be taken, but experience. void Of
sensual desire.' These rules, if followed
will tend to promote health. and thus lead to
a greater length of days and years in mans
existence; still there is natural period for
man to exist, and neither food. drink, nor
sobriety can place man beyond that We
find that each species of animal has its boun-
Diary of life. and so has man. He has his
infancy, youth. middle age, old age. and then
comes the winding sheet and the narrow
house.
But how long does his existence last How
many years cncircle his natural life ? These
are important questions. We find that thirty
years is considered to be generation; that is
the whole world is rc-pcoplrd every thirty
years with a new race, and like number de-
parts from it in that period. But no person
considers thirty years as the natural term of
mans lifr-seventy years being generally set
down as that limit. A book, however. recent
Is published in Paris. by NJ. Flourcns, which
has created no small sensation in that city,
places old age at eighty five years. and the
complete natural life of man about century.
He places first manhood between forty five
and fifty five, and second manhood from that
to seventy. instead Of old age at that period.
We are inclined to accept his view of the
question as the most correct one. Buttons;
the naturalist, entertained such an opinion.
The rule of life laid down by him is, that an
imals live from six to seven times the number
| Of years required TO complete their growth.
such as the horse, which completes its growth
ut four years, lives from twenty to twenty.
four years, and man who takes eighteen
years to re ach his full growth may live more
than hundred years. There are but few
men who live to a hundred years, and Just a,
few horses that live t" twenty -four, but tina,
affords no reason why many men, and almost
all men ola sound constitution may not live
for century. The table Of NJ. Flourens re-
lating to life is as follows: