The Portland daily press., 1888-08-09
THE STORAGE OF LIFE.
Possible Obstacles In the Paths OF
Future Lovers.
London telegraph

Among the triumphs Of science over ma
ture has not, as yet, to be placed any discoy-
cry for materially extending the average
| duration of human existence. In fact. in
this single respect We appear to have gone
distinctly back since olden days. Not to
mention Methuseleh, whom the very wise are
now inclined to regard as tribe, the in
stances in old registers and other venerable
documents of individuals living to patriarchal
ages are numerous. Appollonius is said to
have reached 100 years; Penophilus, a follow
er OF Pythagoras, died at the age of 106 AS
examples Of the truth that great mental at
tainments do not impair the chances of lon
gevity, there may be mentioned the names of
Bacon, Voltaire,. Young, Halter, KepIer,
Newton and Bentham, who all flourished to a
green old age.
There are, of course, many instances of the
same vitality nowadays; but no general pre-
scription can be ascribed to science, no GER
tain means by which life may be prolonged
All that scientific people can tell us is that
certain professions are long-lived, such as
clergymen, lawyers, schoolmasters, philoso-
phers and writers; while butchers, publ
cans. workers IN certain trades, jockeys and
others are, on the whole, short of life. In an
interesting lecture which Dr. Richardson re-
Gently gave at meeting of the Sanitary In
stitute OF Great Britain, in the rooms Of the
Royal Institution, on 1.-THE Storage of Life"
the lecturer pointed out some important facts
as TO the sort OF people who may be expect
ed, under ordinary circumstances, to enjoy a
good span of mortal existence. We need not
go into the matters which do not affect man
KIND, or wonder, with DR.. Richardson, what
is the reason why the prolific animals, such
as shrimps. or rabbits, live a very short time.
while an animal like the whale, which brings
forth one at birth, is a centenarian. and
pixies and tortoises are duocentenarians, The
conditions which favor 1.-THE storage of life, I"
among men, are the matters which are really
interesting; and. these conditions were stated
as being i've, OF which hereditary qualifca-
lions were not the least important Dir. Rich
ardson tried to reduce to something like ex-
actitude the effect of heredity on health; he
recommenued that the ages at death of ones
parents and ancestors for three generations
back should be added together, the sum di-
vided by six, when the result would be an
proxlmately the commercial value of our own
life. Whether life insurance offices will feel
inclined to favor this view is another matter:
they approach to it somewhat nearly already
by their minute inquiries into the ages and
illness of parents. Then the lecturer went
on to explain how the temperaments most
compatible with long life were the sanguine
anu DiIious, wnile the nervous and lympha-
life. 0e
These conclusions must of course, be tax
en- as only approximate; the experience of
everybody can point to people OF nervous
temperaments who have lived to good old
ages. Then Dr. Richardson went on boldly
TO declare, and very sensibly, that it was de-
trimental TO the storage Of life when people
physically weak internarry. Finally all
sorts OF stimulants were. declared bad, if we
desired to see length of days; and tribute
was paid to sanitary science for having very
much decreased the mortality per thousand
IN English towns, and c0ncurrently raised
me average length of existence. Mr.. Edwin
St,nauWick mentioned the instructive fact
tnat the death-rate in London was Just now
IL per thousand; while in Vienna It was
twenty-seven, and in st. Petersburg forty.
WIN all acknowledgment of the benefits
Whlch the spread OF sanitation has produced
among us, it is exceedingly open to doubt
whether any appreciable proportion of mar
riageable men and women will ever consent
to regulate their matrimonial arrangements
on scientific principles. This is the first OBJ
stacle to progress which DR.. Richardson has
based on physical qualities, for the guidance
of the bymeneally inclined. viii Cupid con-
sent to discharge his fiery darts in accordance
with the prescriptions of medical experts?
The very notion is fiat treason against the
God Of Love, and merits as much chastise-
ment as ever Venus bestowed on unhappy
fsyche in the tale which Mr.. William Nor
ris has retold so WELL Yet there may come
d scientific epoch when passion Is so much
u un control, and when the intellect is SO
Jn IIipower n that Romeos will select their
o;uth,e.s solely because of their possessing
becans eanguine or bilious Compartments, or
1 dficaass ther greatgrandfather's ages, if
Instant aye SaH, would W give satisfactory re-
Lovers coloques in that happpy ei time a0e com.
ing would be delightfully."- novel 'i tbings 70
GyerhsfT sdn love you Xra@nta, the too
yoang Iady 5rons6t would say but the
training for the medical professinn, ana i 10
SJerQlV TeDlY. WHY
that I'm of a Emphatic, and YOU u.s. are noS w
nervous temperament? am astonished "a