St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1886-08-28
The Hygine of Old Age.

Speaking Of the conservation of life il
the aged, DR.. III. C. Wood, of Philadel
phia, mentions the case of prominen
citizen, who having died at the age OF
81, was quoted by his neighbors and as.
sociates as being gathered like a ripeneG
sheaf. But DR.. Wood objects to the
slmlie as being inappropriate, for the
gentleman 10 question was full of phys
1cal and mental vigor up to within a
week of his death, and there was nc
more reason that his life should termi-
nate SO suddenly than if he had been
toner believes that, aside from deaths
from accidents and preventable causes,
the duration OF life is frequently intlu-
enced by success and failure. The man
who has sncceeded-and by this we
mean one who has so spent his years
that they to rm gratifying subject for
self-review -can, by proper care, pro-
long his life much beyond the tradition
al tbreescofe and ten. But sense of
failure in life is apt to become the indi.
rect cause of premature death, for it ex-
hausts the vitality and detracts from
the recuperative power of the system.
TO make old age possible, however,
the several vital organs must be approx
ordinary physique, who possesses this
fortunate balance of power, will in all
probability outlive an athelete whose
development has been unequal. Excess
slve strength IN one part is in fact
source OF danger. AD overdeveloped
muscular system invites dissolution, be-
cause it Is a constant strain upon the
less powerful organs, and finally wears
! them out. Death in the majosity of ca
ses is the result OF local weakness. 1t
often HAPPENS that vital organ has
been endowed with an original longev-
ity less than that of the rest of the or
ganisn, and its failure to act brings
death TO other portions of the system,
which in themselves possessed the cap
abilities of long life. As old age creeps
over person, the conditions of the an
lmal organism change, and they possess
less elasticity to meet and overcome
such strains as can be invited with i'm
punity in youth. Exposure to inclem-
ent weather, the sudden shock of good
or bad news, are frequently sufficient to
terminate life which with care would
be able to endure many more years of
active usefulness. 1t is therefore high
ly desirable that persons of advancing
gears should make their personal habits
the subject of careful study, and with
the help OF some wise counselor regu-
late their daily living in accordance
imel economy. Of all the questions
which must thus be decided III few are
more impotant than that of diBt. The
loss of the teeth in old age shouk be re-
placed when possible by artifeN sub
stitutes. But even with the 70 pro-
duct of the dentists skill, maj #kcation
IS apt to be imperfectly performed, and
the food of old people therefore should |
be easily digestible, and at t1 same
time comparatively soft andeadily
comminuted- In its nature, Ne food
should not be too stimulatingW Many |
are injured by an excess Of nitragenous
food. The kidneys being weaFAhed by
age, are unduly strained it = island
other rich foods are eaten -scess.
Milk and it's products or cereal prepara-
tions cooked with milk are among the
most suitable and perfect foods. In
many cases, too much food is taken, un-
der the impression that the lessened vi
tality requires increased fuel to main
tain the vital warmth. But this is
great mistake, for it must be remem-
bered that growth has now ceased en-
tireiy, that but little exercise is taken,
and that the function OF food is reduced
almost solely to supplying the compar-
atively small waste of quiet existence.
DR.. Wood believes quite strongly 10 the ;
use of wine for aged persons, as it as ;
sists digestion and quiets the nervous
witch is apt to be the result !
Of feeble health. The danger of the
of any evil habit when pa t
tient has reached the age of seventy is {
20 small that the most temperate and i
physician need not hesi- I
tate to recommend the use of such Il /
5onic. The question of temperature is q
another, demanding more consideration q
han is usually bestowed upon it. 8
When the vital fires are losing their en- f
,rgy, and the force of life is waning, it t
becomes imperative that artificial heat s
hall supplement as far as possible their s
Careful heating arrange e
nents and warm clothing are necessary c
rot only for the comfort of old people,
mt for their very existence. And so, in
II the details of their living, the altered
onditions of the organism must be con-
idered, and their requirements salts
ed. In our busy, hurried lives, the sci
nee of old age has been too little con-
dered. The span of life, though
is still unnecessarily cur 8,
siled. Il