Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-09-24
Ihe Value of BntternaiIk as n Means of
Proionyinx Life = --r-..--- 40

The New Orleans Surgical and Medical Jour
nal contains some interesting facts on the sub
lect OF longevity. An eminent French chemist
"a. Robin, In memoir. presented, to the Aca-
deny OF Sciences, tPsris,) has expressed the
belief that human life may be prolonged. and
enters into an argument to show that his opin-
icn Is pased upon sound reasoning. He also
gives the result Of his personal observations on
TINS subject, and proposes TO demonstrate the
unthiuIness Of his position by actual expert
ments upon animals whose lives are Of short
duration. His argument is that the mineral
matter which constitutes an ingredient in most
Of our food, after the combustion, is left in onr
systems to incrust and stifen the different
parts of the body, and to render imperfect
many of the vital processes. He Compares
human beings to furnaces which are always
klndled; life exists only in combustion, but
the combustion which occurs in our bodies.
Ike that which takes place in our ehiinneys,
leaves detritus or. residue which is fatal to
life. To remove this he would administer
Tactic acid with ordinary food This acid is
known 70 possess the power of removing or
dissoiylng the ipcrustatiOns which form on the
arteries, eartilages and valves Of the heart
AS buttermilk sbOunds in thi. iacid-snd is
moreover an agreeable kind of food-its habit
ual use, IT Is urged, viii free the system from
these causes, which inevitably cause death
between the seventy-ffth and one hundredth
year. --- ..- =
These views are also supported by writer
IN the Aforesaid Journal. Tables are also sub
mltted to show that people do live to be very
old, whether owing to their drinking butter
milk, however, is not alleged. Nine persons
arc Individually named whose ages ranged
from vi to lSj years. Dr. b. Dowier, Of New
orleans, also gives a list of l02 persons who
have lived within the last 200 years, and whose
ages ranged from l20 TO 1SO 81 of whom lived
10 years; II lived I30; lived liG,; lived I5O.
and one loU years. The instances Of longevity
below Ia yeaTs- are known to be freduent
Some curious facts are selated by DR.. bowler
et the habits of these aged individuals Polo
tlmaR- surgeon, who lived to be I40 years
old, never passed day without being intoxi-
Gated; and the peasant woman 0bst, who lived
10 be l99, drank, ordinarily, two tumb erful of
brandy daily. A French resident Of Detroit.
VINO lived to be ll6 years old, never drew a
sober breath during l04 years Others lived
very temperate lives For instance, Jean Can
ser, who lived to be ll6 years, lived chiefly on
milk food. Thos- Psrr. who lived 49, years
and D months, lived all his life upon bread. old
cheese, milk. whey and table beer; and Peter
-LOstan, who attained To the remark able sce of
Io9 years, Lived solely on vegetables
III the French chemist and other medical
writers are not wholly deceived in theif views
respecting the value Of buttermilk in throwing
on the lncTuSsations upOn the vital organs
those who desire to lehgthen their days upon
the earth will do well % discard the further
use OF poisonous liquors, swil milk, &C., and
substitute in their place the pure buttermiIk
from the churns of the country Buttermilk
and long life are certainly to be preferred 10
deitTIHDs tTeBls1SS, the evils of sWin milk and
premature death.