The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1879-01-03

Great eaters never live long. A vora-
cious appetite, so far from being n sign of
health, is q certain indication of disease
Some dyspeptics are always hungry, feel
best when they are eating, but as soon as
they have eaten they enter tOrments, so dis
tressng to their nature, as to make the un-
happy victim wish for death. The appetite
of the health is that which inclines to eat
moderately when eating time comes, and
which, when satisfied, leaves no unpleasant
reminders. Multitudes measure their health
by the amount they eat and of any ten
persons, nine are gratifed at an increase of
weight, as if mere bulk were an index of
health; when, in reality, any excess of fat
ness is, in proportion, decisive proof of ex-
isting disease, showing that the absorbents
of the system are too weak to discharge
their duty and the tendency to fairness, to
obesity, increases, until existence is bur
den, a d sudden death closes the history.
Particular inquiry will almost unvaringly
elicit the fact, that fat person, however
rubicund and jolly, is never well, and yet
they are envied.
"While great eaters never live to an old
age, and are never, for single day, without
some symptom, some feeling sufficiently dis
agreeable to attract the minds attention I'M
pleasantly, small eaters, those who eat regu-
larly of plain food, usually have no spare
flesh are wiry and enduring, and live to
an active old age. Remarkable exemplifi-
cations of these statements are found in the
lives OF centenarians of past age. Galen,
one of the most distinguished physicians
among the ancients, lived very sparingly
after the age of 81, and died in his 140th
year. kentigern, who never tasted spirits
or wine, and worked hard all his life, reach
ed 1855 years. Jenkins, Il poor Yorkshir
fisherman, who lived on the coarsest diet,
was 1863 when he died. Old Parr lived to
be 1913, his diet being milk, cheese, whey,
small beer, and coarse bread. The favorite
diet of Henry Francisco, who lived to 40,
was tea, bread and butter, and baked APP
pies. Ephraim Pratt, of Shutesberry,
Massachusetts, who died aged III, lived
chiefly on milk, and even that in small
quantity; his son Michael, by similar means,
lived to be a 103 years old Father Gull, a
Methodist clergymen, died last year at the
age Of 105, the main diet ofhis life having
been sailed swine's flesh (bacon) and bread
made of Indian meal" From these state
ments, nine general readers out of ten will
| Jump to the conclusion that milk is
"healthy," as are baked apples and bacon.
These conclusions do not legitimately fol-
| low. The only inference that can be safely
drawn, is from the only fact running
through all these cases-that plain food and
a life of steady labor tend to great age.
AS to the healthfulness and lile-protract-
ing qualities of any articles of diet named,
nothing can be inferred, for no two of the
men lived on the same kind of food, all
that can be nationally and safely said is,
either that they lived so long in spite of the
quality of the food they ate, or that their
instinct called for particular kind of food
and the qualification of that instinct, in
stead of its perverson, while life of steady
labor directly caused healthfulness and
great length of days. Wcmust not expect
to live long by doing any ono thing which
an old man did, and omit all oShers, but by
doing all he did, that is, work steadily as
we'll as eat mainly particular dish.--Jour.
nal 0f Health.