Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1855-08-11
Length of Human Life.

LcuStH Ol human llIfc.
An article in the last number of Black
woods Magazine, on the above subject
holds out the idea that the age Of MAJ
should be one hundred years instead o
tilreS-scere end ton. Tho author says
E We do not simply die; we usually xii
ourselves. Ourhabits, our passions, ou
anxieties Of body and mind; these short
en- our lives, and prevent us from reach
ing the natural limits of our exist
ence." Gluttony, he asserts, destroys
more lives than Incorporate drinking
and yet, /" it is the fashion to restrict the
term sobriety to the moderate use of Ii
quors." A sober life no doubt implie,
moderation in all things--in eating
drinking, and the enjoyment of all tho
pleasures of life. But although we have
read and heard much of moderation il
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 one is not for another. Nc
Temperance in all things But no man
can or should set up his own standard
for his neighbor. And yet it may truly
be said, that general rules for temperance
may be set down, which if followed,
would be of immense benefit; such as
not to eat so much as will unfit the mind
for its usual exertions; or so much as
will make the body heavy and torpid.
Not to pass hastily from one extreme of
living to another, but to change slowly
and cautiously, to eat plain and whole
some food, and to proportion its quantity
to the temperament, the age, and strength
of the eager. Not to allow the appetite
for food and drink to regulate the quanti-
ty to be taken, but experience, void of
sensual desire.p This .rule. If follow
ed, will tend to promote health, and thus
lead to great length of days and years
in mans existence; still there is a natur-
al period for man to exist, and neither
food, drink, nor sobriety can place him
beyond that We find that each species
Of animal has It's boundary Of 4ife and 50
'l-..~- .s-.-----sFis ~ lis infancy, youth
middle age, old age, and then comes the
winding sheet and the narrow house.
But how long does his existence Hast.
how many years encircle his natural
life? These are important questions.
We lind that thirty years is considered
to be a generation; that is the whole
world is re-peopled every thirty years
with new race, and a like number
departs from it in that period. But no
person considers thirty years as the nat
ural term of mans life-seventy wears
being generally set down as that limit.
A book, however, recently Published in
Paris, by NJ. Flourens, which has Great
ed no small sensation in that city, places
old age at eighty-fye years, and the
complete natural life ofman about a CEN
fury. He places frstmanhood from that
of seventy, instead of old age at that pc
Rod. We are inclined to accept his
view OF the question as the most correct
one. Button, the naturalist. entertained
such an opinion. The rule of life laid
down by him is, that animals live from
six to seven times the number of years
required to complete their growth, such
as the horse, which completes its growth
at four years, lives from twenty to twen-
ty-four years, and man who takes
eighteen years to reach his full growth
may live more than hundred years.
There are but few men who live to
hundred years, and just as few horses
that live to twenty-four, but that affords
no reason why many men, and almost all
men of sound constitution may not live
for century. The table of NJ. Flour
ems relating to life is as follows:
Man grows 20 years, and lives 90-100
The camel 8 Z" 40
The horse S :" %
The Ok A Is or 20
The dog 2 :" :" 10 or u
This is somewhat different from Button.
but he sets it down as fixed rule that
all large animals live about five times
longer than the time required for their
full growth. This question is one of
deep Importance to the whole human
family. 1t is one to which the ingenious
Frenchman has brought great amount
Of knowledge in investigation, and he
holds up science, as presenting to all
men life Of sobricty, very extended
fund of existence. --Scicmifc american.
TIM VALUE CIV PoLIrnNEss. -Mr,
Butler, of Providence Rhode Island. a
millionaire, who died some six years AGO.
was SO obiging that he re-opened his
store one night solely to supply little
girl with spool Of thread which she
wanted, the incident became known (Mr.
Butler was a young man at the time. J
and the trading public wisely thought
that his accommodating spirit, as shown
in this trihing affair and in the conduct
of his business, deserved good run of
custom, which they gave, and placed
him ON the track Of high prosperity. lie
subscribed the sum Of 500, 600 towards
founding a hospital for the insane in
khode-lsland, Through the benevolent
opportunities Of Miss Dix.
In order to give tone 10 tho stomach.
i Is recommended v swallow the dinner
bell