The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-12-10


from Or. Smiths Prize Essay on Life
Insurance; ss ,,s,,,,,
9 Notwithstanding n the contingencies
which beBet human life In nnnumbeted
forms, there are families 10 which d
length OF days 10 an ihhefitance. Child
rem born from such stocks, derive q vi.
tal force which Ia recognized as being
peculiar. Thus one generation follows
another 10 that particular line, remark.
able for the age sometimes attained.
IA far back In the. hlatory Of man as
the 'pRtrlarchal, days Of the Jews, q
knowledge ofthis transmission OF long
life appears to have been familiar.
When jacob was introduced TO Phh.
raoh, King OF Egypt, by Joseph, the
monarch was struck with the venerable
appearance Of the father, and demand.
ed bis age e,--''and Jacob said unto Pha.
raoh, the days Of the years OF pilgrim !
age are one hundred and thirty years |;
few and evil have been the days Of the
years Of my life, and have not attained
unto the days Of the years of the life OF
my fAtbera In the days Of their pilgrim,
age.n - ~ p =
A family ofsix to ten children for ex.
ample, OF both sexes, originating from
the same source,-both father and mo.
ther reaching from ninety 10 one hun.
dred years, may safely b0 ipresumed TO
have been born. to the Inheritance Of
many years, all other circumstances
being favorable.
Were the father from q long lived
ancestry but The mother not 10, some
oftheir offspring WIN exhibit the ex.
treme Of protracted age; while others
OF the brothers and sisters, may not
pass beyond an average period Of life,
somewhere between any aud sixty. u
Id a family has constituted, % liability
TO disease Is 10 be eapprehended. How.
ever, that must evidently depend on
the nature OF their employments; ex.
posure to an impure atmosphere, dissI.
pations, locality, aud other clrcumstan
ces 10 be taken into account-such are
the results or observation Of competent
medical inqulrers, who have sought
diligently for signs OF longevity. -
Females OF any given number OF bro.
theirs and sisters. traced TO q parentage
thus defined, appear to outlive the
males, as a general law. Perhaps In
consequence Of moving in q smaller
circle OF exposure, exempt from the
cares, incidents, excesses, 6o., 10 which
the male sex Is both more prone, and
OF necessity more exposed, the value OF
life may be determined in their favor.
When females OF such a family are
agreeably married, and their days flow
on In a.peaceiul channel OF domestic
comfort, they generally live TO be spo.
ken Of as very aged women.
Again, should mother be from q
long lived parentage, and the husband
not, or II he Is Of feeble organization,
and yet not decidedly sickly, the sons
OF such parents will live 70 be older
than their sisters.
or course, locality, social condition,
employments, and the contingencies
which belong to their surroundings,
are to be carefully weighed. Moral cir:
enmstanCes must also be considered.
Ifthelr domestic relations are propiti.
ous,-being happily married, ,-and they
are addicted TO no vicious, 6ebllitating
habits, ,--Iheir days are many, and they
die far advanced. Their vitality seems
to be directly derived from the maternal
side. Less attention has been given to
this subject, than 1t obviously deserves,
In estimating the probabilities OF life!
II is therefore admitted US au estab.
llshed fact, that long life Is an actual
tnherttlnce,-transmitted from parents
to children. What all the conditions
may be, conducting toit, still deties the
scrutiny OF physiological inquiries.
People Of intelligence who give them.
selves no care In the study Of natural
laws, recognize the truth of the fore.
going conclusions, In accordance with
their knowledge OF Che lives OF individ.
nails within the circle OF their acquain.
tance.
Cases without number might be col.
lected, from authentic sources, to sus.
tain tue Views set forth In the foregoing
proposiuOn."