The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1884-06-18
A PROBLEM OF THE TIMES.
MAY MEE LIVE TO BE oNE HUNDRED
YEARS OF AGE7
A Discovery That Man Already Lives
Longer Than he Did-SOme Wars
TO Put Death Yet FurtFer Vyav


tions we ought to live one hundred wears.
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 DIR. Farr,
in his description of the march through
life of million children has given the
following results: Nearly 100, 900 will die
in the first year, SO, 900 in the second
year, 5000 in the third year, and less
than 4, 900 in the thirteenth year. At
the end of forty-five years 500, O00 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-five years, 80, 600; and
at ninety-fve years, 2,100. At the be-
ginning of 100 years there will be 223.
and at 1O9 years one. The mean lifetim G
of both sexes in England was calculated
some years ago to be 40.S5S, or nearly
forty-one years. Mr.. H. Humphreys has
shown, however, that in the five years,
1875 to 1880, the mean age at death was
1896 females 45.3), 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 half years have been
added to the life of every inhabitant of
England.
'The Spectator asks: 'What is the kind
of life which is increasing9 Are we
young longer9 Do we live longer, or are
we only little slower in dying p 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 "a
more, the expectation from 35 to 60 is a
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 35 at the age of As; 80 at 55;
at 65; at rs; and 1 at So. The in
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 60. 1t is
interesting to ascertain what is the nat
ural limit of existence. Doctor Farr
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 commencer Dr. Farr has
divided life as follows: Boyhood, 10 to
Is years; youth, 10 to 26; manhood.
25 to so; maturity, 55 to rs; ripeness,
rs to So; and old age, SO 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, or
strength or muscular development alto
gether, but rather probably on an even
balance between the several parts, and on
something more. AS the strength of a
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
hot . T..
the hurry and strife of life men too often |
forget this truth and pay the penalty. |
After 90 or 55 a good deal more rest and |
sleep are required than in earlier man |
hood. The physical powers haze 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 degenerative pro-
cesses of age have weakened the bodily |
powers the intellectual powers remain
comparatively unaffected A weakened
nerve fiber may retain its continuity, and |
a diseased vessel in the brain may hold
Its entirety for great length of time if
no great strain is put upon it.
Sin taking the period of sixty to
seventy-five, and still following the for
tunes of the million children born, we
find that 800, 029 enter this age and 161,-
124 leave it alive. Diseases of the brain,
heart and lungs are the most common;
81, 400 die of old age. The numbers that
enter the next decennial-seventy-t to
161, 1874, and the number
that leave it alive are 1866. About
l22, 500 die chiefly of lung, brain, heart
and other local diseases. Nearly 80, 900
lie of atrOphy, debility and old age.
Some writer says he has met few or
no ,Ases 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
and other infammations es-
,aping recognition. But it is also true
hat many deaths attributed to disease
IRE mainly due to old age; slight iniu-