The prison mirror. [volume] (Stillwater, Minn.) 1887-1894, 1890-07-31
Human Longevity.

The term of ''threescOre years and ten"
is usually looked upon as the outer limit of
human life, and a man is said, on reaching
that period, to have arrived at "a good old
age." But yet. we can scarcely take up
number of our daily and weekly journals
without meeting numberless instances in
which hearty and healthful life has been
prolonged to the century, and not unfre-
quently. considerably beyond it. This Ion
gevity is due to variety of causes; and. as
we all desire to live as long as we can. the
subject will not be uninteresting. as a mat
ter of inquiry and contemplation.
The page of history dsclOses the fact
that longevity is frequently hereditary, not
only in Individual families, but in commu-
mites and nations. In Olden times, when
the occupation Of the people was chiefly
confined to agriculture and stock raising,
the normal average term of life ranged from
$50 to 200 years. Among the IndO- Euro
pean races. the ordinary period of existence
is about 100 years. and the extreme limit is
officially placed at five generations, or $50
years. Among the African races, we find
the limit of 100 years has been exceeded.
but none of them reach the age of the Cau
casian. The average duration of life in
Europe lin the nineteenth century, is very
brief; ranging from 26 to 33 years--a fact
mainly attributable to the poverty of the
masses and their want of attention to sani.
tary and hygienic laws. e2s
In the more densely populated cities and
towns of the United States, the average
duration of life does not exceed 35 or 38
years; though in the agricultural and more
sparsely settled districts there are a large
number of families and individuals. the
span of whose lives is extended, ,suntil the
age of 80. 80, 100 and even los or 1O6 is
reached. It may at first seem somewhat
surprising that, in climate so bracing and
health inspiring as ours. and with the sub
stantial, wholesome food so generally OBJ
tainable in this country, the average term
of life should be so short; but, when we
take into consideration. the high pressure
(mentally and physically maintained by
the ordinary American citizen. the amount
of mental excitement and physical exerton
which he crowds into one day of business
life; the extraordinary means he adopts to
keep up the steam," and his reckless, ir-
regular. careless habits as to food, clothing,
sanitary and household matterS-it is al
does.
Button. Haller and FlOurens, the great
chronological authorities, assert that every
animal, the human race included, lives in
in its normal condition. six or seven times
the period of its growth, the minimum of
which is 1S years. making total of from
1O4 to 1875 years. and fixing the average
duration of mans life at from 80 to 100
years. In ratification of this theory, they
relate number of cases in which the ex-
treme limit reaches nearly two centuries.
Sir Henry Holland, another celebrated eth
nOlOgist. has expressed his belief. founded
on well. .ascertained facts. that human ex-
istence is frequently prolonged to between
11O and 14O years; while recent writer, a
Mr.. Thomas, remarks that the evidence as
vet afforded of any existence beyond the
age of 10 is exceedingly untrustworthy.
In a work published in London, England,
in 1874, by Sir John Sinclair. and entitled