Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1869-07-16
The Oldest Alasl.

There - perhaps NJ mtdIcai rccOtd cxtant
OF such general interest aS the report, by the
celebrated Harvey, the great diseoVerer oi The
c,rculatinr ci the blood, OF the examination oi
the body after death ot Thomas Parr. lie Was
moor countr, man, born near Ninnnston, 10 the
comfy Of Saiop, who, according to the slate
D,ent uf The original document, the wording OF
which. With all its antique qua,ntness, We
shall follow as nearly as possible, as 1t gives
piouaDcy to the narrative, died on the i4th oil
Nnvember, iu the year OF grace 1888, alter
having lived | - years and9 months aud sur
viyed nine princes. This poor man, having
been visited by the ilustrious Earl OF Arundle
when he chanced to have business In those
narts. was brought by him from the couutryto
l,ondon, and there presented as remarkable
sight to King Charles the First
Harvey states that the body was muscular
the chest hairs, and the hair on the tore'arms
stil black, and there was otherwise such evi-
dence Of Yigor that it seemed not Improbable
that the common report was true that Parr
did penance for some unllceneed act OF gaLIan-
try after he had passed his hu9dredth year.
He had married in his hundredth and twenti-
eth wear a widow who had no reason to COM
plain OF his eoDjugal devotion.
The chest was broad and ample, and the
lungs fres from organic disease. There were
s;ons of suffocatiou, which was supposed by
Harvey and the other physicians OF the king
wbo assisted him to be the cause OF death
Tbe heart was large, thick, fbrous, and healthy.
IN rai,inc the breast bone the cartllages OF
Tho ribs were not found as they generally are
n nersons of advanced life, hard or converted
;nto hone, 0n the contrary they were soft and
nexisIe. s =. a,ahu
and strong. and so was the stomach, The small
sntraiIs were muscular, and thus it was by day
or NIGHT, observing no rules or regular times
for eating, old Parr was ready TO discuss any
lind Of eatable that was at hand; his ordinary
Iiet consisting of sub rancid cheese, and mix
in eyeIy form, coarse aud hard bread, anu smaii
drink-eeuerally sour. whey; On TINS So1iy
Sare bnt living In has home free from care, did
this moor man attain to such length OF days
DC oven ate something about midnight shortly
before bis death.
An the internal parts, in word, appeared
so healthy that, had nothing happened TO IN
,srfere with the old mans habits OF lite, be
might perhaps have escaped paying the debt
dne TO nature for some time longer.
The cause of death was attributed in part to
.ba shanoe of climate in coming from the coun-
~, n 70 london. Parr bad throughout The course
ofb;s life inhaled perfectly pure air, but IN
This great cherisher Of hfe the great city was OF
that time especially destitute. "A city, wrote
Harvey. whose grand characteristic IS an in,
mepce coneourse OF men and ANIMALS, and
where bitches abound aud hth and offai he
scattered about, to say nothing OF the smoke
an1ondered by the general use of sulphurous
coal as fuel. whereby the air is at all times
rendered heavy, but much more 80 in the au
,nmn tLan 10 any other season. The change
of diet, too had no less fatal effect
When one who has been used to live on SIM
r,e food is set at table loaded with Il variety
of yiands. and tempted not only to cat more
tban he IS wont, but TO partake OF strong drink;
-, must needs fall out that the functions OF
III the natural orgsns would become deranged.
Whence the stomach at length failing, the ex-
crst;ons long retained, the work OF concretlOn
nroceeding Ianguidly, the liver getting loaded,
tba Llood stapuating in the veins, the spirits
;royen. the heart-the source OF lite --oppres-
cod the lungs iniracted aud made impervious
!, the ambient air, the general habit rensereo
m,rs compact, so that 1t could not exhaie Oh
perspire wonder that tho SOM, ltste con
tent with such prison, took rs n'Sht,
The brain was found very krnf, hard to tht
,o,'eh and perftctly healthy. Thus 1t was that
p,rr shortly before his death, though he had
hoan Lind for many years, heard extremely
Ill understood all that was SAID TO him' an
s,ssrsd Immediately to questions, aud mad per
L.. II.
feet apprehension OF any matter 10 hana.. IN In
,seo res aiso sble to walk with the slight supper
Of the arm Of friend His a9 memory s ,nan WAS %Sa 1Sn
~ /. vsrv old one. He could not recall tn
events % Of his youth but recollected only thos
Of the Iast few years. lie was ascuStome'
even in his l3O,h year to engage Justify 10 ever
kind of agricultural labor, whereby ne earn.
his bread, aud he had even then the s'rsnso
required TO thresh his corn.
Walker went TO . Dutch tailor aud bad 81
rsasure taken tor pair Of pantaiooGEps. IL
gave o. directions to have them made made large an 40
t,m Walker is q large aud heavy man, an
'1" nn"s his clothes loose, and when he came
iIy k'S on M. the unpen.onaOles found they stae
,sht W TT to bis legs, whereat he thus ISmGnstr' mon
% ted II iol 70 make thSss pants # full
Aliei som the tailor ended the controversy b
zane Iaf,nnn na'a II tnk desc pants is full enough
ueSIa,,ws sn, ~ any iuller dey would sphht'