The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-08-06
How to Live a Hundred Years

1tIHapS lueIe are great many OF
our readers who would like to live TO
be hundred IL such there be, let
them read and ponder what follows
1t has been said that the human frame
as machine. IS perfect; that it bears
no marks within it by which We could
produce its decay; that i, is apparent
ly calculated u go on forever. aud only
by experiance have we learned that It
will not do SO. \ French writer has
tersely remarked that. usually, men do
not die-they kill themselves. There
is a great deal of truth in this latter,
and there is a great deal of encourage
ment in the former saying. That our
organs are so perfect that the seeds of
decay are not observable within It.
affords ground for hope that man may
add to the average number of years.
And this is rendered all the more prob
able as it is well established that the
average of human life is longer by a
very considerable fraction than it was a
century ago An English physician
has ilately published a work on the
means of prolonging life after middle
age. In common with great many OF
his profession, Mr.. Gardner, the phys
ician referred 20, seems to believe In
the possibility of mans adding to bis
years. Flourens has formulated the
law Of natural organic life, aud claimed
that it is capable OF extension OF five
times the period of natural growth
Assuming this law to he true, mans
natural years should be from 30 to l05
Dr. Gardner appears to have fully colE'
cided with Flourens. Reasoning from
the analogy OF anesthet!cs, he sees no
cause to dispair OF the discovery ulti
mately of q genuine elerir gitG. Mean
while, he would prolong the reign oi
youth by tranquility of mind, sobricty
and uniformity of temperature. dc
would have no one fret or worry. DIR.
Duncan Gibbs, who has written work
on the physical condition of centenar,
ians, and who had personally examined
six persons over 100 years of age, con.
/ firms DR.. Gardeners views, in this lat
ter respect at least. In all six, DR..
Gibbs found the lungs perfectly whole
also the heart. All six had good bel
horsepower as evidenced by the firm
ness, sonorousness, and clearness oi
voice In each the cartilage at the top
of the windipe was a vertical position
The skin III each instance was tough
aud silvery There was no case of en-.
larged or fatty heart The digestion
was perfect, and so was the calmness OF
mind. The bodily sense and menta
faculties were unimpaired Drs. Gard
ner and Gibbs agreed that climate was
unimportant as regards longevity
When bordering on old age, the advice
given is to stay at home, TO keep warm
/ TO have pleasant occupation, TO take
proper exercise and diet, TO avoid starcl
of potato, malt liquor, and cheese DR.
Gardner would MT undertake TO lay
down rules by observing which each one
could make himself centenarian
The task is an impossible one and yei
his advice is not wholly to be disregard
ed. 1t may, if scrupulous!y followed
out, makes centenarians of us all, which
perhaps would be a great misfortune
for the world; but it will be calculated
TO make sexagenaries of those whc
might have died in their thir.ies OF
forties. Ii man would add to his
years let him take care of his lungs bJ
properly exercising them, of his heart
by avoiding all undue excitement, oi
the brain by cultivating tranquility
Let him be temperate and pay proper
regard to the cleanliness and temp
erature of his person, and he viii
have done more for himself than doc
tor and the whole pharmacopaeia car
do. If he will do all this, some future
DR.. Gibbs may find him. at the age OF
100 or thereabouts. with lungs ant
heart perfectly whole. with good bel
horsepower. firm; clear, and sonorou'
voice, with tough and silvery skin, ant
the cartilage at the top of his windplp'
in vertical position, and with IN,
sense and his faculties as keen aS those
of man in his prime-with his chill
dren and his children's children around
him. Virtue is the basis of longevity
as of individual prosperity and nationa
greatness.