The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1867-12-03
.COL.ITMB BIA..
,Tue.day Morning. Deoember 3. lss7.
LongevIty or Brain workers.

1u6Suhy AOEn1nSs UecemDer ~ 1cot.
longevity or Brain Workers.
1Dr. George: NJ. Beard, in the last
'ssa:;sr IS aasrpes's Monthly Maga-
.sine, presents some curious Statistics
with regard to the physical effects OF
intellectual labor, showing that con-
: stant activity of mind forms the most
.hfavorable condition for the attain,
--ment Of old age. It is trne, as the
s;writef says, that many'whoae names
shine brightest in the galaxy of the
world's thinkers, walked, all their
lives in sorrow and in pain, and sunk
sinto premature graves. But, on the
,other hand, it is just as true, that
the logical cause OF the suffering and
seerly decease of these men is to be
found, in most instances, not in their
intellectual activity as authors, so
much as in their native feebleness of
constitution, II their habits, or ex-
terpal circumstances., Many delicate,
Ainely-strung natures are irresistibly
impelled to authorship by the force
of their genius; and if such are
doomed to lifelong battle with dis
ease, surely their calling should not
be held responsible for their misfor-l
stunes.E Some worry themselves to
-.death-others hasten it by over-in-
~dulgence of the passions; but very
few die simply from over-exertion Of
The mind 1.e
DR.. Beard then cites, as examples
of the truth Of his theory, Sir Walter
: Scott. overwhelmed with debt. lonely
through bereavement, persistently
writing and planning until he was
past sixty; Dante, fighting with po-
verty and his own weaknesses, plung-
ing into all mysteries and sciences
for three-score years and ten. The
writer also cites Irving, Edwards,
and other illustrious authors, to
prove his allegations against the
: generally adopted theory, that men
OF literary genius die at an early age.
: He says that college students are
referred to as affording examples of
. vigorous and bounding health, not
inferior to that of any other body of
young men in the country. Intelli-
gent farmers form an important class
OF brain workers, and it is generally
known that they reach high average
Sof longevity. On this point, DR.. |
Beard says: sN
"But this great old age is not due
TO their muscular exercise alone, for
mechanics and laborers, who work |
even harder than farmers, do not
live as long by, many years; it is not
due to the pure air they breathe, for
many out-of-door laborers are much
lower in the scale of longevity than
they; nor, lastly, is it due to the
calmness of rural life, for the farmer,
if q free-holder, is burdened with |
grave responsibilities and oppressed
by weightier cares than the butcher |
In the market, the teamster on the |
or the workman lie en-
ploys by the day, all of whom die
much younger than he. Farmers are
lopg-lived. not only because of pure
air, moderate exercise and country
+QHiet, but more especially because
they can countcract the Injurious
effects of merely physical labor by
varied activity of the mind. OF
nearly 10000 Of this class who died
in Massachusetts, the average was
over sixty"
Reasoning thus from analogy, and
from the facts of biography, it would
seem that those who are endowed
with unusual intellectual powers can
work harder and longer, oil things
being equal, than the rank and file of
humanity. Let our brethren of the
press-about the only true brain
workers in this day and generation
cheer up and take courage from this
comfortable theory of DR.. Beard.
The West Indies appear to be at