Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1882-06-08
FACTS ABOUT LONGEVITY.


Short-Lived Persons Mny Readily be Dis
cerned-InHaenceo Of DieE and habit
"Old Longevity" as DIR. T. s. Lam
bert is commonly known, is familiar
figure around New York. Whether in
liberal clubs, where he may be heard
discussing social, political or scientific
questions, at temperance meetings Oh at
farmers clubs, his appearance Is q GER
tain notification that longevity is related,
however remotely, with the subject un-
der discussion
"Are there any indications OF lon
gevity that can be relied uponS' he was
asked by Star reporter.
Certainly. All living things have q
natural inherited life, which may not be
extended beyond the time which it is
limited, but which may beshortened by
improper treatment.
HAS not vocation something to do
with length OF life?p
''It apparently has, but more appar
emily than really. Oftentimes vccations
have been thought to be especially fav-
orable to long life, when. in fact, if nat
urally short-lived people should under
take to follow them, they would be
found very preiudicial. Farmers. for in
stance. have been found to be very
lLng-lived people, according to the re-
port of the Massachusetts, board Of
health, but person must be naturally
long-lived to be a successful farmer. If
there are weak boys in the family, the
mother almost always, ont Of kindheart-
edness, will say: James, OF John ought
not be kept to work on the farm; be is
too delicate; he must be put as clerk
in store or student with a doctor;
or, perhaps, study for the ministry; SO
that those who are not long lived do not
usually become farmers.
'sTailors and shoemakers are usually
thought to be short-lived; yet in some
towns, where nearly all the population
have been shoemakers, as great length
of life has been found as in towns where
nearly all the population are farmers.
Those who are not strong and vigorous,
however, frequently enter upon the trade
of farmer or shoemaker, where the per-
son is protected from the weather, and
the trade gets the credit of the length
of life of the persons who seek it. This
or that vocation cannot be said to be
long or short lived SO much az that long
or short-lived people naturally seek that
trade. The labors Of judges are severe,
yet they are among the most long lived
people in the community, as I found
before the war, when ! had an oppor-
tunity of examining the inheritance of
every Judge Of the United States courts,
and found in each instance they come
from long lived ancestry on both sides
OF the house. So, also, when inquired
into the ancestry Of the three selectmen
in each of Ill towns in Maine, Massa-
chusetts and Connecticut, found inva-
riably that they were long-liyed on both
sides Of the house"
"It is said that new generation OF
newspaper men arises. every seven years.
Does their vocation affect their lon
gevity p
"very readily. The indications are
dependent upon form, size, color and
surface, which can readily be discerned
by the practiced eye. The other day I
was in the Office speaking with person
on this matter Of longevity, when
stranger came in whose appearance in
dicated in the most positive manner
great length of life, and I remarked that
that individual would be found TO have
long-lived ancestry on both sides Of tht
house. I felt sure Of it on account OF
the combination in him Of so many diff
ferent indications of great longevity
'What were those indications7 ?"
sHis head was very broad through
from side to side, indicating the inheri-
tance Of longevity on his fathers side.
His head was deep from the bridge Of
the nose to the bridge Of the ear,
which was situated low on the side of
his head. His features were of large
size, his upper lip long. his eyes broad
apart, is nostrils ample, his eyes blue
and brown mixed, being perfect hazel;
the color Of his skin was healthy and the
surface exhibited indications Of the Wig
orous action of that organ; his trunk
was long and large around, his hair and
whiskers had the colors which indicated
equal inheritance from both sides Of the
house. On inquiry it was proved that
on both sides his ancestry reached
above the age Of ninety"
s'What are the indications of short
Ife2"
lucy h1O WAc1C tAO AnN4cabAOuc VI
long life are wanting. II, for instance,
you find q person with head narrow
through from side to side-not exceed
ing five and half inches-you may be
certain that his fathers ancestry, with
rare exceptions, have not reached the
age Of eighty OF ninety years, and he
has not inherited the exceptional long
age. If you find person who, from
the bridge Of the nose to the ofifce OF
the ear measures not more than four or
four and half inches, you nay be sure
he has not inherited great length Of life
from his mothers side. II person is
narrow through the head from side to
side. and the distance il small from the
bridge Of the nose to ori6ce Oh the ear,
you may rest assured Of his brevitY OF
,sh