The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1865-12-12
RISKS OF GREAT EATERs.

Great eaters never live long. A voraoious
appetite, so far from being sign Of health, Ia q
certain indication of disease. Some dyspoptics
are always hungry; feel best when they are eat
ing, but, as soon as they have eaten, they en-
dure toruents so distressing in their nature a.
to make the unhappy victim wish for death.
The appetite of health is that which iuclines
moderately to eat, when eating time comes, and
which, when satisfied, leaves no unpleasant re-
minders. Multi:udes measure their health by
the amount they can eat; and, Of any ten per-
sons, nine are gratifed at an Increase of weight,
as if mere bulk were an index of health when,
in reality, any excess of fatness is in proportion,
decisive proof of existing disease; showing that
the absorbents of the system are too weak to
discharge their duty; and the tendency Of fat.
ness, to obesity, increases, until existence is
burden, and sudden death closes the history.
Particular inquiry will almost unvaringly
elicit the fact that fat persons, however rubi-
cund and jolly, are never WELL and yet they arc
envied. While great eaters never live TO an
old age, and are never for a single day without
some "symptom," some feeling sufficiently dis
agreeable to attract the minds attention un-
pleasantly, small eaters, those who eat regularly
of plain food, usually have no "spare fesh," are
wiry and enduring, and live TO an active old
age. Remarkable exemplifcations Of these
ans of past age. Galcn, one of the most distin-
guished physicians among the anoieuts, lived
very sparingly after the age Of twenty-eight,
and died in his hundred and fortieth year.
ketigern, who never tasted spirits or wine, and
worked hard all his life, reached a hundred aud
eighty five years.
jenkins, a poor Yorkshire fisherman, who
lived on the coarest diet, was one hundred and
sixty nine years old when he died. Old Parr
lived to a hundred and ifty-three, his diet being
milk, cheese, wlAey, small beer, and coarse bread.
The favorite diet of Henry Francisco, who lived
to l4O, was tea, bread and butter, and baked
apples Ephriam Pratt, of Shutesbury, Massa-
chutts, who died, aged III, lived chiefly on
milk, and even that in small quantities.; his son,
Michael, by similar means, lived to be lob
years. Father Gull, Methodist clergymao,
died last year, at the age of los, the main diet
Of his life having been salted swino's flesh ba-
COM and bread made of Indian meal From
these statements, nine general readers out Of
ten will jump to the conclusion that milk Is
"heathy," as are baked apples and bacon.
These conclusions do not legtimately follow.
The only inference that can be safely drawn is
from the only fact running through ell these
cases :hat plain food aud little of steady labor
tend to great age. AS to the healthfulncss
and life protracting qualities of any article of
diet named, nothing can be inferred, for no two
of the men lived on the same kind of food; all
that can be nationally and safely said is either
that they lived so long in spite of the quality
Of the food they ate, or that their instincts
called for particular kind of food; aud tho
qualification of that instinct, and steady labor,
caused hcalthfulness and great length Of days.
We must not expect to live long by doing any
one thing which an old man did and omit all
others; but by doing all he did, that is, work
steadily, as we'll as eat mainly pariular dish.-
Halls Journal Of Health.