South-eastern Independent. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1871-1871, 1871-10-06
The Records of Longeyity-Curious
illustrations.

PHYsrsLsersTs from the days Of Galen
have established rules and regulations for
the preservation Of life, which are all in.
cluded in the mutual laws. Upon a strict
observance of these laws and upon such
natural conditions as the parentsge, con.
stitution and form Of the individual, Ion
gevity depends. Hereditary longevity is
regarded by DR.. Noirot as tie most i'm
portsnt representation. Rush said he
never knew an octoge marian who could
not quote similar instances in his family.
From a statistical report of the hospitals
and work-houses of London, out of 597
octogenarians, 303 were descended from
long lived parents.
Regarding the ~psrentage, Bacon makes
the curious statement that "those that
resemble the mother most are longest
lived" The same author describes The
most favorable organization of old age,
as one with q head small in proportion
10 the body, moderate neck, wide ~nostrils,
large mouth, ears gristly, teeth sound, a
raw-boned body, broad chest, large hand,
short foot, eyes large, and facility for hold
ing the breath" Medical authorities, as a
rule, rely more on the general physique
than on miuor details. The celebrated
Hufeland favors one of the middle size,
with a complete harmony of all his paris,
senses not too delicate, pulse slow and
regular. Lavater lays more stress upon
the c~ountenance. He says "every man
destined to reach an advanced psriod of
life, has a muscular forehead furnished
with a soft skin, and the nose somewhat
curved" With respect to the sex, there
has been much discussion; but it is GER
80 AL -@-a a4A1s, ao .-oo4 No. &c
men, Notwithstanding their inferioriIy of
form and sedentary habits. Tisseh ex-
| plains this want of exercise as bling com
peUssted for by their talking so much.
The health of the human race is very
dependent upon the external conditions of
life, especially the character of location
or habitation, and q country geograph-
ically situated so as to combine regularity
of the seasons with a uniform, mild and
moist climate is the most conducive to the
prolongation of life. The moist unfavor-
able localities are those where extremes
of temperature prevail. In Iceland and
Siberia, both with extremely cold eli
mates, seventy is the standard of extreme
age, while in China, with its enormous
population, centenarians are so rare, that
when the EN-, eror in 1884 assembled tie
Oldest inhabitants of the Empire to the
number of 5000, there were only four
whose ages exceeded a century. Noun
famous regions, on account of the purity
of the atmosphere, offer superior sdvant-
ages to those of low countries. Scotland,
Switzerland and Wales are remarkable in
this respect. Ancient Greece and Italy
were celebrated for their salubrious eli
mates, which partially explains the many
in afonnoo of aytroma ono onnnnn their die
tinguished men of antiquity. Sophocles,
Thales, Demo, and Xenocrates exceeded
ninety; and Plato, Pindar, Scion, Keno
phan and Pythagoras lived beyond eighty
years. Cities have been aptly termed " the
graves of the human species" on account
of the mortality resulting from disease en-
gendered by the impurities of the atmos-
phere.
Many of the cases of remarkable Ion
gevity are very doubtful. Numas de Cugna
is said to have died in 1866, at the age of
$50; but the following are some of the
most authenticated instances:
Peter Lortan, of Hungary, aged 1856
Louisa Truxo, a negress, of South Amer
lea, 176; John R0vin, of Hungary, 172
Sarah, his wife, 1854; Henry jenkins, of
/ England, 1859; Mrs. Judith Scott, of Eng
land, 1852; Thomas Parr, of England,
152; Ivan de Outryei, of France, 146; the
Countess of Desmond, of Ireland, 40
Alexander NJ Cullock, of Scotland, 1872
Peter Garden, Scotland, 131.
Very little information regarding the
means of preserving life can be obtained
from 81 examination of the habits of these
aged persons.
"What is one mans poison, Signor,
Is another's meat or drink"
Beaumont and Fletcher.
It is related that old Lortan's only food
was milk and cakes, with brandy. Jen-
kins appears to have subsisted on sailed
beefan sour, leavened bread. De Outryei
lived on corn meal; Parr drank ale and
sherry, ard many centenarisns have been
addicted to the use of liquor and tobacco.
Whatever may be the effect of diet upon
longevity, it is certain that the occupation
or profession exerts great influence.
Farmers are generally the most favored,
having the advantage ofpuTe air, plenty Of
exercise, wholesome diet, and freedom
from excitement. Clergymen are long
lived, for they lead regular lives. The Gel
ebrated Wesley attained the age of eighty
eight, having preached sixty-siK years.
Tailors, shoemakers, printers and watch
makersdie young from the confinement of
their pursuits. Masons, plumbers, and
painters are usually unhealthy, while car
penters and bookbinders arc more foItu-
nate; stsblemen and dyers live long. One
would not suppose that those connected
with the stage would survive long, and vet
there are many instances CT very old &C
tors. Garrick lived till he was 63; Kemble,
&C.: Mrs. Siidons, 76; Colley Cibber, So;
and Forrest is upwards of 20. Poets, as a
class, have died very early; but it is ques-
tionable whether this is Que to the immod-
crate use of the brain or their own excuses.
Byron died at 36, Burns at 80, Goldsmith
at Al, Spencer at IS, Thompson at As,
Dante at so, and Tssso at 90, etc.
The pursuit of the arts and sciences
seem to favor health many of the most
illustrious artists attained great ages.
Titan lived to be ninetY-six; Michael An
gelo, eighty-nine; Claude Lorraine, seven.
ty eight. Physicians, although exposed
to constant risks from disease, usually
resch old age, but not extreme sge. Law
yers are short-lived. In short, all profess
sions requiring much study have q ten
dency to shorten life, and eighty consti-
tutes the maximum age. With literary
men, sleep-the most important auxiliary
Of health-is too often neglected.
Sleep is as necessary after in
tellectual as physical labor. The
loss of sleep has been know to &C.
casion death, as in the case of Lord
Littleton, and a newborn infant could not
survive twenty-four hours if kept awake.
Shakespeare appropriately calls sleep,
" natures soft nurse" The married state
is more favorable than the single. Button
declares that marriage is the proper state
of man." and Psychologists affirm that
nearly all the remarkable cases of lon
geyiry were married persons. Old Parr
tried wedlock again at the advanced age
of one hundred and twenty.
Philosophers have represented old age
as uneviable on account of the physical
decay accompanying it, yet there is often
no diminution Of the strength and vigor
of the intellect at the most advanced
period of life. Necker says "that the era
of three score and ten is an agre able age
for writing" At eighty, Plato COM
menced Greek, and PlutaTch Latin when
the same age. Arnauld, when that
old, translated "Josephus." Theosphrar-
tus, when ninety, began his work on the
4" Character of Man" and the famous LEAK