Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-05-24
THE WEAR oE WORRY.
why We Should Avoid wonring Indu1-
genco and Cultivating Placidity. ~

genco and Cultivating Placidity.
The main problem of this world is that
et right living. We all have desire to
live as long as possible, but we are not
prompted by that desire to so train our
habits that the physical mechanism
will run without the friction that wears
and finally destroys prematurely. A
person who is absolutely we'll mas no
evidence of the existence within his
body of the vital machinery upon whose
smoothness of operation so much de-
pendsj therefore, when good health pre-
walls, we are apt to slight the duty OF
watchfulness and care as to our manner
of living and thus establish conditions
which finally result in disease When
the first symptoms of trouble are mani
tested, we pass them without serious
consideration, and raroly bring ourselves
to realize the necessity of making a
vigorous stand against the attack of
disease until an ailment has secured n
good grip upon us. Then, when we
come to full understanding of our con-
dition, we experience thought in regard
to the blessing of good health which
would have remained foreign to our
minds had we not broken down ply
sically.
People who are struggling against a
declining tendency of life's powers look
upon the hale and hearty octogenarian
with wondering interest. They marvel
as to the reason for the immunity from
wearing disease which has resulted in
his existence beyond the biblical period
of three score years and ten. They
would like to question him as to his
habits of life, and CLEAN, if possible,
some clue to right living which might
lead them to the level of health. This
desire for advice is responsible for tho
iteration of symptoms and experience
by invalids, who never let their friends
forget the fact that they are sufferers.
DR.. George Murray Humphrey en-
deavored to induce information that
might be valuable as guide to people
who desire to live through life's allotted
span, and he has given the reading
world the result of his investigation in
a book entitled "Old Age" He sent
carefully arranged circulars, containing
questions concerning men and women
over eighty years of age, to be filled out
by physicians. From the nine hundred
answers to these circulars, DR.. Hum
phrey was able to draw only two legiti-
mate inferences The first inference is
that civilization is prolonging the aver
age of human life; the second is that old
age is being so ameliorated by modern
science that its progress has lost much
of its pain and terror.
The inquiry noted failed to educe any
thing reliable as to the influence of
right living in promoting longevity.
Centenarians were discovered who had
always lived intemperately and irreg-
ularly, and one man of one hundred and
three declared that he had all his life
got drunk, and always would do so.
Neither was it made patent that OBJ
servance of the old saw, early to bed,
and early to rise," ETC., had any bene-
fetal influence upon the aged people
who were systematically catechised. 1t
was discovered that small eaters and
hearty eaters alike defied death, and
that there are octogenarians who have
been uniformly healthy through life,
and octogenarians who have been inva-
lids during the major portion of their
existence. This latter discovery would
seem to afford stimulus for the
hope of those who are endeavoring
to take good care of themselves.
For it is undoubtedly a fact that
the man who feels the necessity Of
looking closely to his physical condition
has better prospect of reaching old
age than he who considers himself
strong enough to withstand any excess
or dissipation.
A habit of Throwing worry to the
dogs" has probably more to do with
longevity than most people imagine,
and there are not a few people who can
trace their recovery to the time when
they simply forgot all about their
troubles. Therefore, while we should
endeavor to avoid wearing indulgence,
we should at the same time cultivate pla-
cidity. Milwaukee Wisconsin.