The Delaware ledger. (Newark, Del.) 1879-19??, 1884-02-09

Judging from the great age of the
survivors Of the battle of Waterloo
participation in that battle was the sur
est means of longevity which an Eng
lishman of that day could take. OF
course this resource is no longer open
to persons desiring to live beyond three
score years and ten, but such persons
can accomplish nearly as much by be-
coming doctors. Twenty-six eminent
physicians and surgeons have died in
England during the last four years, all
of whom were over so years of age, and
nine of whom were over 80. The two
who had attained the greatest age died
at 90, and began their profession as
army surgeons. These two may posi-
bly, have laid the foundation of their
longevity at the battle of Waterloo, but
however this may be, the fact that Eng
lish medical men live to a great age is
sufficiently established. The popular
idea of DOCTORS life is that lie is expo
sed to dangers that ought to cut him off
at an early age. AS a medical student
he is believed to undermine his consti-
tuition with tobacco and spirits and to
run the risk of inaicting fatal wounds
upon himself with the dissecting knife.
When in active practice he is supposed
to be dragged out of bed at all hours
and in all weathers to attend to his pa
tients and to be constantly exposed to
the danger of contracting infectious
and contagious diseases. The wonder
is that man engaged in such profess
sion ever lives to middle age, whereas,
as the statistics above quoted show, he
has an excellent chance of living to be
so or 80.
The facts undoubtedly are that in a
DOCTORS daily life there are conditions
which are eminently favorable to longe-
witty. First among these is the fact that
doctor never takes his own medicines.
Then, too, doctor takes a
good deal Of exercise. 1t is true that
he takes little exercise in the course OF
his office practice, but mis- out-of-door
practice, compelling him, as it does, to
hurry from one house to another and to
climb lnnumerable stairs, gives him the
exercise which men of other professions
fail to obtain. Then, again, he sleeps
more soundly than other men. Know.
ing that he may be called up at any
hour, he goes to bed with the resolution
of COMPRISING as much sleep as possible
into the briefest time; and the concen-
trated sleep thus obtained does him
more good than many hours of light
and uneasy slumber.
To these healthful features of doc.
tors life may be added the pleasures
which his profession yields. The sur.
geon meets with constant succession
of delightful amputations, and is liable
to be agreeably surprised every day Of
his life with unusual abcesses and move
tumors, upon which he can exercise his
ingenuity and his knife. The physician
meets with quantities of interesting
diseases, and is always hoping to be the
first to describe some new disease tc
which his name will be forever attached
like the popular diseases discovered by
Messrs. Bright and Cox, respectively.
If the doctor is successful, as nearly all
doctors seem to be, there flows in upon
him a constantly increasing stream Of
fees, and lucky pestilence or fortu,
nate series of explosions and railway
collisions may at any time make the
physician or surgeon a rich man. 1t is
thus easy to understand why members
of the medical profession live to a great
age. Almost as easy, in fact, as it is to
understand why their patients seldom
rival them in lonpeyitV