The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1884-06-04
PROBLEM OF THE TIMES,
MAY MEN LIVE TO BE ONE HUNDRED
YEARS OF AGE2
A Discovery That Man Already Lives
Longer Than he Did-Some ways
10 Put Death Yct Further AWay.

tons we ought to live one hundred years,
and that the discouraging doctrine of the
influence of hcredity in shortening life IS
!! only true in n limited sense, Is interest
ing to most people. So, also, Is the CIR
cumstancc that we are living longer than
we used to Eve, and the assurance that
much may vet be done to prolong our
lives. These and analogous topics were
given in a recent lecture by Dr: Jonn
Foster, of Bradford, England, read at the
February meeting Of the Sheffield Mcdlco-
Chiruroical society: ''The late DIR. Farr,
in his description of the march through
life of a million children has given the
following results: Nearly 100, 600 will die
in the first year, -, 900 in the second
year. %. 600 in the third year, and less
than 4, 1000 in the thirteenth year. At
the end of forty-fivc years 800, 600, or
onc.half. will have died. At the begin
ming, of sixty years, 300 600 will still be
living. At the beginning OF eighty years,
80, 600: at cighty-tive years, $4,000; and
at ninety-ive years, 2, 100. at the be-
ginning of 100 years there will be 223,
and at los years one. The mean lifetime
of both sexes in England was calculated
some wears ago to be 10. SjS, or nearly
forty-onc wears. Mr.. II. Humphreys has
shown, however, that in the five years,
1876 to 1880, the mean age at death was
43.5 females 1879, being a 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 Il half years have been
added to the life Of every inhabitant OF
England.
"Thc Spectator asks: what is the kind
of life which is increasingly Are We
Young longer? Do we live longer, or arc
we only a little slower in dyingT an
bound to admit that some OF the gain in
carly life is lost in middle life; that while
the expectation Of life at birth is 24
more, the expectation from 50 to GO is a
fraction less. But Notwithstanding the
slirht increase of mortality at IS and up.
ward a large portion of the additional
survivors live on to the higher ages. Or
1000 born, the addit: onal number OF
survivors is 35 at the age of 45;2G at 80;
y at % . az ~ uIu l az W." Nv 'H
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 20 and GO. 1t is
interesting to ascertain what is the nat
ural limit Of existence. Doctor Farr
saws the natural lifetime of Il man is a
century. That is the length of
time a body will live under the
most favorable conditions. Another
most interesting question is: When
does old age commence" DR.. Farr has
divided life as follows: Boyhood, 10 to
Is years; youth, Is to 2G; manhood,
% to 80: maturity, - to 70: ripencss,
- to 50; and old age, s. and upward.
cold arc really begins i'll 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 a formlcss fluid, and from this
develops into the varied forms of living
beings. There is life force. inherited
from q prccxisting life, which builds up
matter into living tissue, and holds it to-
rethcr for a time; and the ~tcnacity with
which this force holds organized matter
together does not depend on size. or
strength or muscular development alto
gethcr, but rather probably on an even
balance between the several parts, and on
something more. AS the strength Of Il
chain is equal to its weakest link, so the
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 a
weakened vessel. that it may burst. In
the hurry and strife of life men too often
forget this truth and pay the penalty.
Alters OF 50 a good deal more rest and
sleep are required than in earlier man
hood. The physical powers have begun
to fail; the mental powers should be at
their best. 1t Is probable that some Of
the greatest literary productions have
been the work Of man between fifty and
seventy. Living public men in every de-.
partment of literature. science, art and
politics, may be cited in proof. For
many years after the degcncrativc pro-
ccsscs of age have weakened the bodily
DONCTS liz lulClltSttil {Jo"SlS AAh
comparatively unaffected. A weakened
nerve fiber may retain its continuity, and
a diseased vessel in the brain may hold
it's entirety for a great length Of time if
no great strain is put upon it.
'In taking the period of siXty-five to
scvcnty-fivc, and still following the for
tunes of the million children born, we
find that 300, O29 enter this age and l61,-
124 leave 1T alive. Diseases of the brain,
heart and lungs arc the most common:
81, 400 die Of old age. The numbers that
enter the next dcccnnial-scventy-fivc to
cirhty-tive-are 1G1, l24, and the number
that leave it alive are 39, 5G5. About
12a, 500 die chiefly of lung, brain, heart
and other local diseases. Nearly 80, 200
die of atrophy, debility and old age.
Some writer says he has met few or
no cases of death from old age. every
body dying of some recognized disease.
1t is true that the symptoms OF disease
become obscure in old age, many CASES Of
pneumonia and other intlammations cs-
Gaping recognition. But it is also true
that many deaths attributed to disease
arc mainly due to old age; slight inju-
rics, cold, heat, want, or attacks which
in early wears would have been shaken off.
OF the million with which VT started,
2,153 live to the age of nincty-fvc-223
to 100. Finally, at the age of l0S one
solitary life dies.
"Discascs may be divided into two
great classes-thc parasitic and the de-
ecncrativc. The latter arc more preva-
lent in early, and the latter in later stages
of life. OF cancer, which is one Of the
diseases of old age. it is uncertain whether
it belongs to the parasitic or the dcgen-
~crativc type. AS it is the duty of the
physician to help man through as many
of these stages. and with us little pain as
possible, it becomes important to study
how to protect him from accidental dis.
eases, and how to husband his forces so
that lie NAV travel far over the way be-
fore his strength shall fail. The first cs-
scntial of life is his food, and beyond
doubt the majority arc undcrfcd, and a
large proportion improperly fed. The
mortality among the poor and the hard
worked, at all stages of life, is amazingly
larger than among the middle and higher
classes. The human constitution pos
scsses Il great amount of elasticity. and
will tolerate departure from correct diet
for a length of time, but in the end the
penalty is vigorously cXactcd by nature.
Lcssencd vitality inevitably follows i'm
povcrishcd blood and ill-nurscd tissue.
Undoubtedly. men are better fed than
formerly, and fewer die of starvation.
But the increased density of the popula-
ton by the hocking of people to the
towns has intensified old dangers. In
less sanitary Improvements keep pace
with the increase of population, the NOR
tality increases. Onc-srvcnth OF the popu-
lation Of Great Britain live in Lonlon: Il
large portion of the rest live in large