The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1877-06-14
How to Live Long.

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How to Live Long.
The desire for length of days seems
to have been far greater in times past
than it is now. With view. of bestow-
ing some timely hints on our active
business men, who are rushing on in pur-
suit of riches regardless of the exhaus-
ton of their physical aud mental facul-
ties, our contemporary the New York
San publishes lengthy article, from
which we condense the following:
Nearly all the principal writers on
longevity are agreed that human beings
may, under the most favorable condi-
tons, live to a hundred, and several
have recorded instances of persons
reaching a much greater age; but the
factorily bear rigid examination.
Hufeland, public lecturer at Jena, who
published work on longevity in the
last century, thus describes the sort of
man who has the best prospect of long
life: He has awell proportioned stature,
without, however, being too tall. He
is rather of the middle size, and some
what thick-set. His complexion is not
too tiorid-at any rate, too much rud-
diness in youth is seldom sign of
longevity. Hair approaches rather
to the fair than to the black: his skin is
strong, but not rough. His head is not
too big. He has large veins at the eX-
tremities, and his shoulders are rather
round than fiat; his neck is
not too long; his belly does not
project, and his hands are large but not
too deeply cleft. His foot is rather
thick than long, and his legs are firm
and round. He has also broad chest
tanning his breath for a long time with
out difficulty. In general there is COM
plete harmony in all his parts. His
senses are good, but not too delicate;
his pulse is slow and regular. His APP
petite is good, and his digestion easy.
He has not too much thirst, which is al
ways sign of rapid self-consumption.
His passions never become too violent
or destructive. If he gives way to an
ger, he experiences glow of warmth
without an overflowing of the gall. lie
likes employment, particularly calm
meditation and agreeable speculations
is an optimist, friend to Nature and
domestic felicity-has no thirst after
either honors or riches, and baniShes all
thought of tomorrow. This power of
banishing anxiety has an immense deal
to do with longevity. 1t is, in fact, that
management of the mind " which DR..
johnson so Justly told Boswell was t" a
great art,' adding that man when
miserable should not go to his chamber
and try to think his trouble down, but
should seek every possible means to di-
vert it. Dwelling on misery at once
affects, and most seriously, the digestive
organs.
There are not a few people the very
| fineness of whose constitution proves
their ruin. They draw so extravagantly
upon their powers that they are dust
and ashes 40 years before the creaky
wheels who started in the race with
them have done running. In this coun-
| try we discount our future more heavily,
perhaps, than in any other; not by dis
sipation, but by overtaxing our ener-
gies. A very large proportion of men
who die rich here die 20 years before
they ought if they had properly hus-
banded their vital resources. Mr.. Macy,
the well known fancy dealer, was, we
believe, only Sc or SO, and had been
Shaving his whole life; in fact, his COM
plete breakup was explained by his in
tense toll. Such career seems like
getting very little out of life. A still
more striking instance of the kind was
that of Mr.. Augustus Hemingway, of
Boston, who worked himself into a lu-
natic asylum, whence he came worth
some $15, 100000, only to get into his
grave few months later. We doubt
whether the history of the world could
show more reckless disregard Of life
than is shown by commercial men in
this country. The science Of combining
intense application with those habits
which conduce to longevity is one that
they have not acquired. That it may be
acquired can not be doubted. Newton
lived to a great age; and great lawyers
have been famous for long life. There
seems to be lack of wisdom in COM
mercial men as to the real value of life.
They put wholly inordinate estimate
upon the power Of getting and spending
Rest assured that there is, in brief, on
lv one golden rule to be followed by all
who seek longevity-moderation in all
things, and management of the mind.
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