The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1870-02-04

TO retard EXHAUSTION. OcScaftes, WHO
had had relations with the Red cross
knights, considered a vegetable diet |
most conducive TO long life. His tiea
was TO eat little and often of subsi an
ces easily digested. But an Austrian,
who will stuff himself like "a boa-con-
strictor, and sleep a week upon it, lives
as long as those who take only two or
three meals day.
The alchemists had this excuse for
their alterations, that they believed
in them whereas the greater portion
ofmodern inventors of elixirs, as Gag
liosto, Hirsclien, Graham and others,
were mere Quacks, who only sought
10 make fortune at the expense of
public credulity. That this is an mex
haus ible resource is proved by what
we see going on around us in the pres
ent day in halms of Gilead, Jordan
waters, and life pills. But if real
elixir of life has never been discover
ed. nature has been known, i'll many
well authenticated instances, TO effect
partial return to youth. Hufeland
relates the case of man who died at
the age of one hundred and two, and
who had new teeth at ninety-eight.
Sinclair relates nearly similar case.
Females have had new crop of dark
hair when over ninety years of age.
Several instances of this nature are
upon record.
The normal duration of life has
been problem sought for from the
most remote ages. Hesoid, Scion, Es-
culapius, and Pliny had all their theo-
ries, mostly associated with astral in
fiucnces. The most scientific opinion
emitted is, perhaps, that of Buffoa,
that the duration of life may be ap-
approximately determined by the du-
ration of growth. But Button had moi
the element essential to the solution
of this problem certain sign as 20
| when growth ceased. Flourens found
this in the union of the bones to their
epiphyses. This takes place in the dog
at two years of age, in the lion at four.
in the horse at five, and in man at
about twenty years of age. Now,
DOES live from ten TO Twelve years.
lions twenty, and horses twenty-five.
This is about five times the duration
Of growth. Man ought, then, accord
ing to the same evidence, live for a
hundred years. But Flouyens argued
that IT, ere was an extraordinary life
as well as an ordinary. life, and that
man might live for two hundred years.
Two other celebrated psychologists,
Halter and IIufeland, lent their au-
uhority TO that desire for long life
which is one of the aspirations of hui
manity. Both believed in q possible
reinvigoration in old age, or as DIR.
Lucas expressed ii, spontaneous res
toration of life, that return to the nat
ural order of things which is opposed
TO the waste of the vital forces. There
| is no doubt that if it is possible for
one man TO live TO a hundred and fifty
or even to two hundred years of age,
as in the instance of Russian soldier,
who was i'm active service during the
thirty years war and died in 1901, so
il is possible for any other man to at
tain the same age under favorable cir
cumstances. But DR.. Lucas goes even
further, as he believes that the condi-
tons essential to longevity may occur
even when circumstances are not 9TH
erwise favorable to the restoration or
unfolding of the vital powers.
| DIR. Noirot places hereditary longev-
itv at the head of favorable conditions.
The chances of long life are all the
greater as we descend from a family
which reckons many old people.
Rush says he never knew an octoge-
marian who could not quote instances
of longevity in his family. Jenkins,
who lived hundred and sixty-nine
wears, had two sons, one hundred
and the other hundred and two,
wears of age; SurringtOn, who lived
hundred and sixty years, had son
hundred and three years old at his
death. PARIS son died hundred and
twenty-seveu years old.
According ophyeiologists, the man
destined to long life is of the mid
de size. neither fat nor lean, but rath-
err strongly blilt. Tall men and fat
men must take much exercise to pro-
long life. Thin, spare, little men must
be quiet. and not allow themselves TO
be fidgety and irritable. The brain
should be capacious yet not volumi-
nous. the neck of moderate length, the
shoulders rounded, the breast open
and arched, the abdomen net promi-
nent. the calves round, the feet thick
but of mean length, the senses clear,
the pulse regulur and slow.
Francis Bacon argued against Hufe-
land that fair haired people died before
the dark-haired. According to the
same observer, the lower eXtremities
should be barry and not the upper,
and the iris OF grey greenish hue.
The sanguine temperament, with
slight tinge of the Emphatic, was also
stated to be most favorable to Ion
gevity. According to the same au-
thority, the hand should be large,
smooth, and without deep marks.
But Aristotle and the chirolnancis:s of
modern and medieval times have al
WAYS held that one or two lines
strongly marked arc indications of
longevity.
Some psychologists have remarked
that men who by the de1icacy of their
constitutions approach most to wo-
men. profit by the superiority Of life
which is one of the attributes CT the
| female sex.
As the regular and slow develop
ment of the human being is essential
TO longevity, so ali early development
of the intellectual faculties is no less
fata. than too great a physical precoc-
itv. 1t is almost reedless to say that
good health. the result of a perfect
equilibrium of all the functions, is IA
vorable to longevity, and yet cases
have been known of the delicate, the
afflicted, and valetudinarians attain
ing a great age. A celebrated physi-
clan used 10 say, "To be convalescent
is to become young again.
DIR. Noirot enters at length upon tie
Importance of plentiful suppl; of
pure and fresh air TO health. But as it
has been shown that impure air con-
tains a vast number of microscopic
plants and animals, one of the latter of
of which. called the mORade Ortde
echGacfee, is supposed to generate
typhus, we should hope that in the
present day it is unnecessary TO dwell
upon so simple a fact. No one can
frequent often OF remain long in crow
ded rooms or public gatherings with
impunity. Birds, Notwithstanding
their rap:dity of growth and amorous
prodigaiities. enjoy an existence refa-
lively longer than that of man. This
from the pure air they breathe, and
the quantity they breathe, extending
even TO their bones and feathers. \