Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-10-03
LONGEVITY'S DECLINE.
EAS MANS LIFE GROWN SHORTER
WITH CIVILIZATION?

and Modern Biological Results-A Lee
marisable List of Old Men.
"Once man strobe the earth like AGO.
lossus." Now he is skrunk almost to an
Inhalation. Venerable legends come down
to us from primeval worlds that he once
carried the,fires of life for ages. The days
of Methuselah were nine hundred and six
ty-nine years. Why should the yelling
up of the deep forces of physical immortal
fly have ceased and man become the mush-
room of the hour?
A critical question, and truly essential
problem is, Has the human race actually
degenerated physically in modern timer
Morally and spiritually it seems to be an
admitted fact that it has wilted and with
cred.
Why is it that death should come before
the allotted age Of ''three score and ten, "
and why SO many millions of human
beings never live to three score and five
and why that not one in every thousand
lives to three score years? We kill our
selves. Many interesting particulars are
found in tables of psychologists and writ
ers on hygiene. The eminent PSYCHOLOGISTS
Halter and Button, present interesting par
ticulars on the subject of longevity They
treat the subject in two ways, historical
and physical The historical side of the
recitation Of all facts known of the natural
ly ordinary and extreme durations of life
and the physical aspect of the problem in
wolves the contemplation of the great nat
ural phases of development of the species
digestion, period Of growth and length OF
life
BUTTONS FORMULA.
Buttons formula of the duration Of
human beings and animals is that they eX
list six or seven times as long as they ARK
growing or attaining perfect adult develop
ment. He adduces the examples of humans
and animals. The union of man is effected
at twenty years, that of the horse at three
years, that of the OK at four years, that ol
the dog at two years, etc. He asserts thai
humans and animals live six or seven time.
as the terms of their growth.
Such being the finally arranged scientific
biological results of ages of observation
why this extreme rarity of centenarian!
and great scarcity Of octogenarians? Why
is it that not one out Of ten thousand live:
to be 100 years old, when originally the
minimum was two hundred years?
Hufeland asserts that we may set i
live eight times as long as they grow" II,
also asserts that "a man in his natura
state, where the period of his maturity il
not fastened by art, requires full twenty
years to attain his full growth and con
formation. and this proposition will giv'
him an absolute age of 200 years" Not
withstanding this, of one hundred mel
born fifty die before their 10th year, twent.
=. 1>atx-
and 80, six die between 80 and 10, three dit
between 40 and 50, three die between so ane
80, and only six live to be above 60.
SOME VERY OLD MEN.
The comparative longevity of the ancient
and moderns is question of vital interest
The patriarchs were clearly longer liver
than the present race. Methuselah at
tanned to upwards of 200 years, the ortho
dox Interpretation of Hesler, OR to nea
1000 years, old style verbal rendering Ii
either case Methuselah is a precious fact
as are also Jared, Noah, Adam, Seth
Canaan, Enos and many other preciou
facts, who lived to attain at least 200 years
Very nearly approaching the ages of thes
men of centuries, as already interpreted
profane history has many records O
longevity with interesting examples. TIL
following table of Mr.. Easton, of Salisbury
England, has striking points not only il
long life, but as representing variety o
types Of the different bloods or races, show
ing that long life is not characteristic O
any one race or compound race:
St. Patrick died A. D, 491 aged 122 years
Attila died in A. d. 800, aged 124 years.
Sughwach died in A. D. 500, aged Is
years.
St. Coemazum died in A. D. els, aged IL
years
Countess of Desmond died in A D. 1915
aged 145 years.
Thomas Parr died in A. D. 1885, aged Is
years.
Thomas Damme died in A. D. 1913, age
154 years.
Peter Torlon died in A. D. 1924, aged Is
years.
Margaret Patten died in A. D., 1873, age
1877 years.
John Rowan and wife died in A. D. 174,
aged 172-164 years.
St. Mangat died in A. D. 1881, aged Is
years.
WHAT THE FACTS PROVE
Those long livers all have interestin
histories, and brief notice of few will nc
be out Of place. Jenkins, who lived to tn
age Of 1853 years, was fisherman, and cor
sequently passed most of his life in tn
open air. Thomas Parr, who died at tn
age of 1852, died by the accident of ovel
gorging his stomach. Post-mortem shove
him to be perfectly sound, except the ovel
| gorged stomach. His certilages were nc
in the least ossifed, and there was not tn
Least symptoms Of decay to be discovered
It is refreshing, really inspiring, to thin
there is possibility, even probability, c
Dur living as long as did the patriarchs
The historical side of the question, longey
ity, clearly makes the case one that is Ell
chanting to reflect upon, that a man live
200 years, enjoying all his faculties to tn
last. The physiological and scientific sid
Of the question establishes the conclusio
that by demonstrated laws of nature O
the question Of the life Of bones and thei
connection with the animal economy, II
years of ordinary life and 200 of extraord
nary life may be enjoyed by any one an
every one-Philadelphia Times.