Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1884-09-17
CHEATING OLD AGE.

Many physicians in New YORK are
devoting themselves to the task OF
prolonging the lives of persons who
are not i'll, yet have begun TO wear
away too rapidly. Among the prac-
titioners who study the subject care
fully, there seems to be little differ
ence of method. Their first and
and hardest work is to convince their
patients that il is dangerous TO live
''fas: "a word which has special
significance which makes it absolute
ly insulting to IN any eminently re-
spectacle transgressOrs OF the laws OF
health II seems impossible TO per
suade a merchant who does more
work in one hour than his best clerk
can do in three, that he is guilty OF
fast living and dissipation even if he
never drinks drop and retrains from
all improper pleasures.
The lawyer or broker who accom-
plishes wonders in the morning, but
feels sense of "goneness' early in
the afternoon, cannot be made TO be-
lieve that part of him is literally
gone" and that if he urges himself
beyoHd that point, without first tax
ing little rest he expends vitality
with frightful rspidity. Ladies who,
between household cares, religious
duties and social responsibilities, are
steadily active from 8 in the morning
until midnight, sometimes wonder
why they lose the freshness of youth,
while some of their sex, whom they
occasionally see, but would not fol
words speak TO. preserve face and fig
ure in spite of lives of which the less
said the better.
But when these, as we'll as less in.
nocent classes, are convinced that
they are living too rapidly, able ply
sicians begin to arrest the advarce 81
age by urging rest. No practitioner
of high standing now prescribes
stimulants to any person not really
i'll, excepting those who are absolute
ly compelled to more exertion than il
good for them. Short periods of re
Taxation throughout the day are al
ways found beneficial; some business
men have been greatly helped by
dropping upon a lounge for five min
utes in every hour or two; they may
not-can no. stop thinking, bu
there seems great relief in merely as
Stunning a recumbent position for
little while. During the recent civil
war a general whose men were noted
| for coming out of a hard march il
fine fighting condition, attributed
his success to his imperative order
that his men should lie down when
ever a halt was ordered.
Regular and full hours for sleep
are also insisted upon, and until thu
patient endeavors to adhere closel,
to this rule he does not begin to com
prehend how natures great restora
tive is diminished in quantity by thu
demands of business and society in
great city. One or two half-nights o
sleep per week do not seem to ma
the health of young people, but an.
person who has reached the age of 3
is weakened by such privations, ant
few of them who have active nerve
can make good the loss.
High living" is remorselessly ia
booed-not only the custom of drink
ing a great deal of wine at dinner
but that of eating concentrated food
with stimulating condiments anC
sauces. Much meat and little vege
tables is the rule with active peopl,
in great cities. 1t is the result o
a physical craving, born of rapit
waste of physical tissue, for stimula
ton. A hard working farmer, wht
is in the open air all day, would not
because he could not. eat as mucl
meat as a slightly built business maj
will consume daily in New York, ant
he would become eXcitable almost t,
madness were he to partake as spar
ingly of bread and vegetables. Goot
physicians place no restriction on tn
quantity of food for city man o
woman of active habits, but the,
urge that the proportion of meats an'
pastries to vegetables be lessened.
The free use of fruit and milk i
strongly advocated t" correct the ba,
effects of over eating and of stimulat
ing food. Fruit juices are believed
to accelerate the natural and health
full action of the alimentary canal, t.
prevent the retention of wasted tissue
and to maintain at its normal cOndi
ton the respiratory system, one O
the most important and least remem
bered portions of the physical ma
chinery. While not delaying or di
minishing nutrition in any way, fruit
if used in sufficient quantities il
known to lower the temperature o
the blood that is overheated by liber
al feeding, combined with lack of ex
ercise. New York has plenty o
melons and peaches during the sum
mer months; but in eight of thu
twelve months of theEear fruit is re
garded as q luxury rather than a ne
cessitv. A physician with a larg'
practice in fashionable district in
New York. said recently that careful
inquiry failed to discover that any
one of his patients ever bought ap
Piles, except for special treatment i.
the kitchen. although the apple is thu
most abundant, cheap and ever-pres
ent of the fruits which are peculiarly
| beneficial as food.