The western Democrat. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1852-1870, 1866-04-24
RISKS OF GREAT EATERS.

Great eaters never live long. A voracous
appetite, so far from being sign of health, is a
certain indication of disease. Some dyspeptics
are always hungry, and feel best when they are
eating, but as soon they have finished eating
they endure torments of distressing nature as
to make the unhappy victim wish for death.
The appetite of health is that which inclines
moderately to eat, when eating time comes, and
which, when satisfied, leaves no unpleasant re-
minders. Multitudes measure their health by
the amount they eat; and of any ten per-
sons, nine are gratlhed at an increase Of weig hit;
when, in reality, any excess Of fairness is, 10 pro-
portion, decisive proof OF existing disease; show
ing that the absurbents of the system are too
weak to discharge their euty; and the tendency
to fatcess, 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 rubicund
and jolly, are never well, and yet they are en-
Wed. While great eaters never live to old age,
and are never for single day without some
.'symptom," some feeling sufficiently disagree
able to attract the minds attention unpl easant-
ly, small eaters, those VIII eat regularly of plain
food, usually have no "spare fesh," are wiry
and enduring and live to an active old ace
Remarkable exemplifcations of these statements
are found in the lives of centenarians of past
age. Galen, one of the most distinguishe ed
among the ancieuts, lived very sps.ingly, after
the age of twenty eight, and died in his hun
dred and tortieth year Ketigern, who never
tasted spirits or wine, and worked hard all his
life, reached hundred and eighty-fv years.
jenkins, poor Yorkshire fisherman, who
lived on the coarsest diet, was one hundred and
sixty-nine years old when he died. Old Parr
lived to one hundred and ffty-three; his diet
being milk, whey, su.all beer aud coarse bread
The tavorite diet Of Henry Francisco, who lived
to one hundred and forty, was tea, bread and
butter, aud baked apples. Epbraim Pratt, of
Shutesbury, Mass who died aged one hundred
and seventeen, lived chiefly on milk, and even
that IN small quantities. His son Michael, by
similar meaos, lived to be one hundred and
three years old. Father Gull, Methodist cler.
gyuan, die6 last year at the age # one hum
dred aud five, the main diet Of his life having
been sailed swne's flesh, (bacon) and bread
made of Indian meal. From these statements.
nine general readers out of ten will jump to the
conclusion that milk is healthy, as are baked
apples and bacon.
These conclusions do not legitimately follow
The only inference that safely be drawn is
from the only fact running through all these
cases-that plain food and life of steady labor
tend to great age. As to the healthfu luess and
lle'protractlnS qualitlcS OF any article OF diet
named, nothing can be inferred, for two of
the men lived on the same kind Of food; llthat
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, and the graf ication of
that instinct, instead of its perversion, with
life Of steady labor, directly caused healthful-
ness AID great length of days. We must not
expect to live long by doing any one thing
which old man did, and omit all others; but
by doing all he did, and that is, work steadily,
IS we'll as eat mainly particular dish.-HaRs
Journal of Health,