The Middlebury register and Addison County journal. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1883-1885, 1884-05-16
DDnRTFM OF THE TIMES.
May MEN LIVE TO BE ONE HUNDRED
YEARS OF AGE7
A Discovery That Man Already Lives
Longer Than he Did-SOme ways
TO Put Death Yet Further Away.

TO Put Death Yet Further Away.
To be told that under proper condi-
tons we ought to live one hundred years,
and that the discouraging doctrine of the
influence of heredity in shortening life is
only true in limited sense, is interest
ing to most people. So, also, is the cir
cumstance that we are living longer than
we used TO live, and the assurance that
much may yet be done to prolong our
lives. These and analogous topics were
given in a recent lecture by DR.. John
Foster, of Bradford, England, read at the
February meeting of the Sheffield Medico-
Chirurgical society: "The late DR.. Farr,
In his description of the march through
life of a million children has given the
following results: Nearly $50, 900 will die
in the first year, $4,000 in the second
year, %, 900 in the third year, and less
than 4, 900 in the thirteenth year. At
the end of forty-five years 5000 or
one half will have died. At the begin
ming, of sixty years, $40, 900 will still be
living. At the beginning of eighty years,
80, 900; at eighty-tive years, 80, 900; and
at ninety-fve years, 2,100. AT the be-
ginning of 100 years there will be 223,
and at 10S years one. The mean lifetime
of both sexes in England was calculated
some years ago to be 40 $50, or nearly
rorty-on years. Mr.. H. Humphreys has
shown, however, that in the five years,
1876 to 1880, the mean age at death was
1886 females 1879, being gain of
nearly two and three quarter years.
Thus within twenty years, notwithstand-
ing an increased birth rate, density of
population, and the unsanitory condition
of towns suddenly grown large, more
than two and half years have been
added to the life of every inhabitant of
England.
"The Spectator asks: what is the kind
of life which is increasing2 Are We
young longcr2 Do we live longer, or are
we only little slower in dying2' am
bound to admit that some of the gain in
early life is lost in middle life; that while
the expectation of life at birth is %
more, the expectation from 80 to go is
fraction less. But Notwithstanding the
slight increase of mortality at 35 and up
ward, large portion of the additional
survivors live on to the higher ages. OF
1000 born, the additional number of
survivors is 30 at the age of 40 26 at 50 :;
L
crease is much greater among females.
BY far the larger proportion of the in
creased duration of human life in Eng
land is lived between 90 and 60. 1t is
interesting to ascertain what is the nat
ural limit of existence. Doctor FAIR
says the natural lifetime of man is a
century. That is the length of
time body will live under the
most favorable conditions. Another
most interesting question is: When
does old age commenceN DR.. Farr has
divided life as follows: Boyhood, 10 to
Is years; youth, 10 to %; manhood,
25 to 50 maturity, So to rs; ripeness,
IS to So; and old age, IS and upward
"Old age really begins in certain
pathological! changes which take place at
different ages. 1t is interesting to learn
what conditions hasten or hinder these
changes. 1t is held that all life begins
in formless fluid, and from this
develops into the varied forms of living
beings There is life force, inherited
from preexisting life, which builds up
matter into living tissue, and holds it to,
gether for time; and the tenacity with
which this force holds organized matter
together does not depend on size, OF
strength or muscular development alto
gether, but rather probably on an even
balance between the several parts, and or
something more. AS the strength of {
chain is equal to its weakest link, so tho
vital strength of the body is equal to the
weakest organ. After the middle arch
of life is passed these changes become
commoner, and there is danger, if We
continue to put the same pressure on
weakened vessel, that it may burst. Ii
the hurry and strife of life men too OTTER
forget this truth and pay the penalty.
After 80 or 80 a good deal more rest anC
sleep are required than in earlier man
hood. The physical powers have begun
to fail; the mental powers should be a
their best. 1t is probable that some o
the greatest literary productions hav,
been the work Of man between fifty anC
seventy. Living public men in every de
partment of literature. science, art anC
politics, may be cited in proof. Fo
many years after the degenerative pro
cesses of age have weakened the bodil,
powers the intellectual powers remain
comparatively unaffected. A weakened
nerve fiber may retain its continuity, ant
a diseased vessel in the brain may holC
its entirety for great length of time i
no great strain is put upon it.
SIN taking the period of sixty-five t,
seventy-fve, and still following the for
tunes of the million children born, W
find that 300, 020 enter this age and 16l
124 leave it alive. Diseases of the brain
heart and lungs are the most common
81 400 die of old age. The numbers tina
enter the next decennial-seventy-fi five t.
eighty tive-are 161, 1874, and the numbe
that leave it alive are 80, 565. Abou
122, 500 die chiefly of lung, brain hear
and other local diseases. Nearly 50, 90
die of atrophy, debility and old age
Some writer says he has met few @
no cases of death from old age, every
body dying of some recognized disease
1t is true that the symptoms of diseas
become obscure in old age, many cases G
pneumonia and other inflammations es