The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-03-16
NO NEED FOR Us TO DIE.
DR.. Hammond Says He Sees No Neces'
sity for Departing This Life.

NJ NEED FUN 10 ~ DAb.
DR.. Hammond Says He Sees No Neces-
sity for Departing This Life.
| Dr. william A. Hammond In the Boston Globe.
People die through their ignorance Of
the laws which govern their existence and
also from their inability or indisposition
~ obey those laws with which they are
acquainted. We are told in the first chap
ter Of Genesis that before Adam ate the
forbidden fruit the life OF man was to be
eternal, but with the acquisition of the
knowledge OF good and evil death became
his portion. II seems 80 me that II would
be more in accordance with the actual
state Of affairs at the present time to be-
lieve that death came through his loss OF
knowledge rather than from his obtaining
IL, for now he loses his life not through an
excess Of knowledge, but through an ex-
cess OF ignorance.
do not see that there is any physiolog-
ical reason why even at the present day
man should die. From a knowledge Of
the causes OF disease greater than that pos
sessed fifty years ago, and from the adj
vance OF mediral science leading 10 better
/ HlclilOuo VI ututliip tut utNhllOns lfOtn
the normal standard Of health 10 which
we are subjected the life OF generation
has within the period mentioned been
heightened from live to six years. That's,
| the average man instead OF living thirty
years, M he did fifty years ago. now lives
nearly thirty six years. Looking at the
question from this standpoint only, II will
| he seen that II IL merely question OF time
10 ls.a wla .l..I IN
sands Of years, and that with an eternity OF
time his life also will he eternal.
Let us take one aspect Of the subject
and we shall not, think, fail TO perceive
that when we thoroughly understand IL
and are willing 10 live In accordance with
its requirements, death, unless by acci-
dent, win ccascto exist .... ..
We know that this life is continued
through the death OF the various atoms Of
the several tissues that enter into the CON-
position OF his body. The organs are kept
In action by force and this force results, as
does all other force, from the mctainor-
phosis OF matter. Thus, 10 obtain heat
we burn wood or coal, and ashes and gases
are evolved In the process; 10 generate
electricity we convert zinc or some other
metal into a salt, through the action Of an
acid, and electricity II set free. In the
body, the brain, the heart, the liver, the
muscles all act through the destruction, OF
rather alteration, Of the substance Of which
they are composed. With every thought
that emsnaies from the brain, with every
emotion which Il feels, with every
act OF the will which II originates, with ev-
cry perception which II experiences, n GER
tain portion II the central tissue Is broken
down into simpler substances. and through
various channels Is exocrated from the
body. With every pulsation that the heart
makes, some part Of tho organ, small
though II may be In amount u destroyed
and cast out Of the system 10 make room
for some new substance.
Tho food that man takes into his stoni.
ach ought 20 be OF such quantity and quail.
ily NJ would exactly repair the losses which
through the action 81 the several organs
his body u 10 undergo. II II IL excessive
In either OF these directions, or II II u def
cient, disease Of some kind will certainly
be the result II he knew enough 10 II
able 10 adjust his daily food 20 the expect
Cd daily requirements Of his system, dis
case could never cnsue through the OK
hauslion Of any one Of his vital organs A
large majority OF the morbid affections "a
which he Is subject Is due 10 lack OF this
knowledge.
Suppose, for instance, that man on ~
ing In the morning should say 10 himself
To-day have 10 read ten pages Of Black
stones Commeniarics, twenty pages o
Don Quixotc,' 30 walk three miles and q
hall, 10 pay visit Of hall an hours dura
ton 20 my grandmother, and 90 take my
sweetheart To the thcatcr, where I shall
spend two hours; 10 do this ! require -
much carbon, 70 much nitrogen. I car
git those precise quantities from cigh
ounces Of bread. four ounces Of eggs
eight ounces OF beef, six ounces of potn
toes, four ounces Of fish, half pint o
beef soup. eight ounces Of water and cigh
ounces u strong cpiIcc, 10 make them 90
little further than they otherwise would
In case have any extraordinary demand
made upon me for mental OF physical ex
ertiona, I shall ha,e 10 add 10 these sub
: stances others which viii compensate fol
} the increased loo.
Now, suppose tha, hc Is exactly right Il
his calculations. and that the food iakef
i neither too pcsi nor too little, but ex
aclly compcnn,tcs lhc anticipated losses
the death Of each fcll in the bmin or tn
heart or the MUSCLES, ETC., will he iollowes
; by the birth Of new cell, which will TAX.
its place aud assAitnc IL functions Gout
rheumatism, lisctB and kidney diseases
= heart affections. soiicning Of the brain
/ the various morbid conditions 10 whicl
the digestive Organs are subject, would b
impossible EXCEPT through the action Q
some external force, such a. the swallow
ing Of sulphuric acid or blow on IN,
7 head or q stab with knife, which wouls
I come clearly within the elias. Of accidents
aud Of course many Of these would b
avcidable.
Supposing all this and ! admit that Il |
not very likely that he will for ayes upo,
agrs acquire the almost God-liko omnI
. science nccc-ssry- -dcaih would be impo.
sible and the eternal life 10 which We ar
: told he was born would again be bis.
4 Frum a consideration Of these points "
pcrcclyo that people die, iini, from ignc
rance Of iii The laws Of health; second
from willfuiness In not obcyins the Law
(, they know.