The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1882-06-24
FACTS ABOUT LONGEVITY.
Indications Of Inherited Long Life-How Short
Lived Persons May Readily be Discerned
Influence of Diet and Habit.

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liberal clubs, where he may be heard dis.
cussing social, political or scientific ques-
tons, at temperance meetings or at farm
ers' clubs, his appearance is a certain
notification that longevity is related,
however remotely, with the subject I'M
der discussion.
care there any indications of longev-
ity that can be relied upon?' he was
asked by a reporter.
''Certain'y. All living things have a
natural inherited life, which may not be
extended beyond the time which it is
limited, but which may be shortened by
improper treatment.
HAS not vocation something to do
with length of life?'
at apparently has, but more appar-
emily than really. Oftentimes vocations
have been thought especially faverblo to
long life, when, in fact, if naturally
short-lived people should undertake to
follow them, they would be found very
prejudicial. Farmers, for instance, have
been found to be a very long lived people
according to the report of the Massa-
chusetts board of health, but a person
must be naturally long-lived to be sue
cessful farmer. If there are weak boys
in the family, the mother almost always,
out of kind heartedness, will say: James
or John ought not to be kept to work on
the farm: he is too delicate: he must be
put as clerk in store or student with
doctor; OF, perhaps, study for the min
istry: SO that those who are not long
lived do not usually become farmers.
"Tailors 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 as 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 found be-
fore the war. when had an opportunity
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 l inquired into
the ancestry of the three selectmen in
each of III towns in Maine, Mass
achusetts and Connecticut, / found inya-
riably that they were long-lived on both
sides of the house,
st is said that new generation of
newspaper men arises every seven years.
Does their vocation affect their longey-
ity?"
Every readily. The indications are de-
pendent upon form, size, color and sur
face, which can readily be discerned by
the practiced eye. The other day l was
in the Office speaking with person on
this matter of longevity, when stranger
aano iii whose appearance indicated in
the most positive manner great length Of
life, and remarked that that individual
would be found to have long lived ances-
try on both sides of the house. felt
sure OF it on account of combination in
him of so many different indications Of
great longevity"
"What were those Indications"
ellis head was very broad through
from side to side, Indicating the inheri-
lance 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 up
per lip long, his eye broad apart, his nos
trils ample, hiS eyes blue and brown mix
Cd, being perfect hazel; the color of the
skin was healthy and the surface exhibi.
ted indications Of the vigorous 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 in
quiry it was proved that on both sides
his ancestry reached the age of ninety.
"What are the indications of short
life ,"
"Fhey are where the Indications Of
long life are wanting. If, for instance,
you find person with a head narrow
through from side to side-not exceed
ing five and a half inches-you may be
certain that his fathers ancestry, with
rare exceptions. have not reached the
age of eighty or ninety years, and he has
not Inherited the exceptional long age.
If you find person who from the bridge
of the nose to the orifce of the ear meas
ureS not more than four or four and a
half inches, YOU may be sure he has not
Inherited great length of life from his
mothers side. If . person is narrow
through the head from side to side, and
the distance is small from the bridge of
the ncse to orifice Of the ear, you may
rest assured of his brevity of life, which
no precaution can prevent. The advan-
tage of understanding these indications
is where long and short life are inherited
in the same person. For example, if a
person has inherited say two-thirds of
his being from long lived ancestor and
one third from short-Gved ancestor, the
time must come for the death Of the
short-lived part of the lung before the
long lived part, and in tho wrestle for
life the sho, t-!iroJ part may prove the
victor if the man has not taken care of
himself; when, if proper care had been
taken at that time, he would set rid of
the short-lived pay. OF the lung and the
long-livoa parts would live on as if he
had never been troubled with any short
lived parts. So with other organs. In
fact, there may be = series OF short lived
parts in tho same organ, So that man
might have frequent attacks of disease
of that organ and yet live to a great
age
care not long lived men equally liable
to die from accident as any one else?
NO; because the same characters
ties which produce longevity will make
a man discreet and cautious. Naturally,