Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-08-18
VOL. XIX. NEW SERIES, VOL. xxi.
Long Life.

Every body wants to live TO be old. 1t is
one OF the first promises to men as a reward
Tor h0n0ring the father and mother. The
men who lives TO a great age is considered
fortunate, and IN most parts Of the world
i veneraied. gray hair being a crown OF
honor. The question Is an interesting one
L every person Can one by care preserve
hi~ own age2 and If so, there is second
growing out Of this-what kind of care
will preserve life? There Is story told OF
twu travellers who were on Journey to.
sethcr through France. One of them had
a theory that by strict temperance in eat
Iug and drinking lie might be prolonged
while the other held that a rational indul.
.ence ard enjoyment of the good things OF
life were the most favored conditions for
,nu2cyity- One day they came to a village
who're were two old men. each in his hun
Iroilh year. One Of the travellers visited
luc Of these uatrarchs and his companion
thc other EAcn returned, acknowledging 9
that bis theory was wrong and his friend,
correct. The first had been told by hi.
centcnarlan that he had preserved his life
by always eating and drinking what best
pleased his palate, and enjoying the pleas
ure- OF lie. while the second was told by
the aged man whom he visited that extreme
simplicity of diet and irugalitg iu his man
ner oi HyIng had kept him in life and
health. The story may be true or not il
l. not improbable. Care and moderation in
all things doubtless tend to prOlOng life,
but they do not ensure to him who practices
them great age. An example often cited Is
that Of Cornaro. Venetian nobleman,
born IN ll67. and until he was 40 years old.
incorporate in eating and drinking His
constitution, naturally nhrm. was impair
ed, and from that time he observed strict
rules of living. and - he lived on until he
died in his hundrcdth year. His temper
aucc was not exactly in conformity with
modern New England notions. lie took
rather more wine than solid food. II ounces
IA day, dId not expose himself to the heat of
the sun nor fatigue himself. his chief labor
being after he was IS years old, when be
wrote bis Discourse on Temperate Lly-
ing This Is a little book (which has been
translated into every written language and
read by millions, and yet the extreme length
OF human lite has not been extended and
the average increase Is not greatly indebted
10 his rules. Public sanitary regulations
have done more than private methods in
preserving life.
S1bTlciy Is one OF the virtues which tend
20 long .Iie, but does not insure it, Neither
does health. C,rnaro was himself an ex-
ample OF thi~.. Has natural constitution
wa> inlirm ani FIR the first 40 years OF his
llie lie dad mot nur~e II. The experience of
most Who have attained great age, confirms
the statement that robust health l. not e.
pecally favorable TO long lie 4 delicate
constitution Is oi,en more lasting than the
most robust. The pale and >ickiy boy may
i've to be man OF extreme age, while the
Iutdy and robust youth l. cut down in his
PRIME ly some acute disease or dies sudden
j. on the approach Of old age. Health and
mu>cu4ariiy al-J are not necessarily the
possession ut the same person. The men
trained for a prize fight. a boat race, or
anything requiring great muscular oxertiOn,
are no. in a hEh state of health. This Is
evident from the fact that tribe upsets
them. There is hardly boat race adyertis-
Cd but some one Of the several Of the crews
has 10 find a substitute because he Is III from
q slight matter which would be a trihe 10
one 10 really good health. The race OF life
Is not to the strong nor TO the swift, and a
recent writer in the Lancet, DR.. K. Southey.
says that the three Oldest persons he ever
knew were women and were Yaletudlna-
rians, and had been 50 for most OF their
lives. Nor are the rules of health the same
Tor all. Cornar0 srules may have preserved
lllll anu ll- III HlUlltu Allt ldN u huNlutI
Rich cakes and pastry and ldleness are not
usually considered to be greatly conducive
to health, and yet We have known an in
stance OF a lady " hO existed tJr upwards Of
20 years. " hose principal diet was composed
OF the food mentioned and who scarcely took
more exercise than the removal from her
bed to her chair and from her chair to her
bed. Temperance and >obriety may be Ia
vOrabie To long lie. but they do not ensure
1t even 10 tue most robust and promising.
The lite insurance officers ask, a, the most
important question. of an applicant for a
policy, If hi- mother and father are living,
and II not. their ages at tile time Of death.
II the parents are old or lived old, the ex-
pcetatIon OF life Of the children Is great. Il
the parents died young then there Is no
great hone that the children viii live 70
great age. The best surety To a long-lIyed
family Is to have descended from ancestors
Of great age. Unfortunately thi. l. not
possible for all, and So the next best thing
is 10 live d good lite while it lasts, and by
temperance and sobTiety TO make 1t a.
healttiul and happy a. possible. 50 as to
transmit 10 p0storIty a better constitution
than one lnhort~ from his ancestors.