The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1888-11-29
L longevity of Man and Animals.

mere Is III uOuOb ludb aIt6T man mas
turned 100 years he grows old rapidly.
Months become to him what years were Be.
fore he reached that limit of age The
human machine is we'll nigh worn ort and
the motive power nearly exhausted.
Therefore We are not surprised to hear
that Colonel Perkins, the Norwich centen.
arian, died on Wednesday, one month after
his Tooth birthday, and that NJ. Chevbuel,
the French centenarian, was too feeble to
receive the friends who came to honor and
felicitate him last week on his 1920 birth
day. Like Colonel Perkins, the venerable
French chemist was in full possession Of
his faculties at 100. but that stage of bis
life's journey passed the race became diff
ficult for him and his steps began to totter.
He has distanced Colonel Perkins by two
years, but seems to be near his limit
There are recorded instances of men and
women who have endured far beyond 100
years, but none of them is well authenti-
Gated, they having lived at time
when no accurate chronological
records were kept. Thus the countess OF
Desmond died in the reign of james l.,
some time after 1908, at what was alleged
to be the age of 145 years, but modern
investigators are skeptical as to the fact.
Though there is evidence enough to show
that she was a centenarian, and was viva
cious and in full possession of her facul-
ties up to 100 years, 1t is probable that
she did not get much beyond the limit
Thos. Parr, better known as Old Parr,
died in 1885 at what was estimated at
l52, but his years we're rather matter OF
tradition than of well-substantiated fact
though he, too, had doubtless passed bis
Tooth birthday, and was 10 all re- pectS
remarkable old fellow. Somewhere about
one hundred years seems to be the pres
ent limit of the span of the life OF man,
and the pIoportionate number OF III
stances where it has been reached will IN
doubtedly much increase as medicine al
vances in the preservative art
The census of 1880 gave 4001 persons
as of 100 years and over, and not far from
the same number, or 4,763, as from So TO
SO. The chances, therefore, are that Wnen
man has got we'll past 80 he will rouno
out the 100. 1t is before years and ailef
so years that life is in most danger under
present conditions and with the medicsi
art as it is. In 1880 there were l41SOz
men and women in the United States DE-
tween so and 81 years, but the number
from SIS to 80 was only 1885. Yet there
were more at 50 than at SO or "a.
Putting, then, the limit of age for man
at 100 years, it thus compares with tna.ol
some of the lower animals, the table oelDB
on the authority of Professor 0wea'
Longevity in years: Man, 100; elepna,Dos ~.
100: camel, so; mare and ass, Ss-aO, ~,
deer, 80; pig, 1920; dog, 1920; cat, lO. -
monkey, 10. Some of the cold -oloOueS
animals and birds, of course, live muOn
longer. Pike and carp, for instance, nav
been ascertained to live $50 years, eag.S
and crows more than 100 years. But WIN
Intelligence to guide him, and medical s.j
the most progressive of all the iealno.
professions to aid him, man ought 10 Asot
up with the elephant in longevity, SO lna'
the age of 100 years will not be as e1trSO''
binary as it is now. A..
The prolongation of life-that Is W
great object of endeavor for the stuu'sr
of the art of medicine, now SO geI7iaIu ~
occupied not in curing disease merelyy'
in warding off disease and preserving
human machine in the best condluopi
long use.
As it is, the best work, the wises' o
the highest, is done by men VINO no
passed 60 and are approaching, or ailep'
have reached and gone beyond, the fSsi,
lists limit of life, three-score years o.
ten.-Hartford Post.