The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1870-01-22
LONG LIE

Z
natural laws. Every day ought to be SO
apportioned as to permit of bodily exercise,
useful employment of the intellectual pow
ors, the cultivation and gratifcationso the
moral and religious sentiments, the taking
of food and sleep, and the qualification Of
the animal faculties; but the qualification
of the organic and moral laws should, like
the qualification of the animal faculties, be
in moderation, all excess or abuse as in
variably entails unhappiness, pain, or dis
sease, as moderate use insures the contrary.
Every act that is conducive to health and
happiness is also conductive to long life;
while every Infringement of the natural
laws entails an opposite condition, and tends
to shorten life. The strict observance of
the natural laws is then, the real and only
secret of long life-always barring acci-
dents, which are beyond the control of hu.
man provision: But even here Providence
by impantiug the feeling Of caution in hu.
man beings, has put it in their power to
grertly avoid misfortunos, by teaching them
not to place themselves in situations or DO.
sitons in which such are likely to occur
There is no question that man does not
live so long as in normal condition of
things he ought to DO God prasied Solom-
on because he asked for wisdom instead of
long life. Why SO? Because wisdom
that is to say, the strict observance of the
natural laws--euails Of itself long life.
Roger Bacon believes that man could live
a thousand years, if he only knew how to
economic his provision of vital force. IT
celebrated physiolosist, Flour.ns, also de-
duced from his study of the nervous CEN
tres that man ought to live much longer
than he does. 1t has been shown by sta
tistical tables that married men live longer
than the unmarried The reason is simple:
unmarried men do not fulfil one of the
natural laws; married men also lead more
steady livUs5 in other words, do rot so often
infringe the natural laws. Unfortunately,
many mistake idleness for economy of
torce' 1t is not so. Economy of force lies
III the moderate use of the powers, facul.
ties, and appetifes but to Gisuse them is
to abuse them almost as much by excess,
others, again, are perfectly intimate with
the natural laws, and yet have so little con-
troll over themselves that they frequently
abuse them. This seems to be one OF the
pains and penalties Ct our fallen nature
the most grievous Of them all.
Long life is so exceptional thing, that
the Greeks and Romans used to chronicle
all remarkable cases Of longevity. Hen
sler and other writers have shown that the
year before Abraham consisted of onlv
three montha; that it reckoned eight after
the time of the Patriarch but that it
counted twelve only after the time of 10,
seph' who introduced the Egyptian met.
hod among the Jews, The age OF Methu-
se!ah presents. then, nothing so very ex.
t'aordinary when we proceed upon this CAL
culation. 1t was after the ere of Josenh
that the prophet sang: "The days of cur
years are threescore years and ten, and if
by reason of strength they be fOurscore
years, yet Is their strength labor and sor-
row; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away"
But it is well at.ested that in our DAYS
sone people attain much greater age.
SAINT Mungo, a Scotchmap, and Peter
Czarten, Hungarian, are quoted as having
attained hundred and eighty five years of
age. Below that figure the instances of
longevity became much more numerous.
The particular habits Of perons who have
lived to an extreme old age do not, howev-
er, always throw light upon the cause of
longevity, and are even sometimes coutra-
dictory. Francis Mongo, who died at
Smyrna at the age of hundred and four
teen, drank nothing but scorzonera water,
Jean d'OutregO, who died in Galicia at
hundred aud forty seven, ate nausht but
-four of maize. Widow Legier, who died
at hundred and seven, always went naked
footed Maulmy, who died at hundred
and nineteen, was vegetarian, and drank
water He was never known to be angry.
Favrot, who died at hundred and four
had bis pipe constantly ip his mouth and
centenarians Lave been known to have prac>
ticed anything but moderation in eating
and drinking. Old Parr died at the aga
ofa hundred and fftytw from surfeit