Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-03-08


published far and wide. We read IN APP
pletons Higher Geography, 1881: The
mountainous region of Virginia for health
fulness is unsurpassed in any other portion
of the globe. The longevity of the native
population. both white and colored, IS
proyerbisl."
Boom the healthfulness Ola large pro-
portion of your State. Health is the most
desirable wealth sickness and death the
most expensive items in our economy.
Early orphanage is a very bad legacy, and
young wldowhood and widowerhood are
much to be deplored.
1t is probable that next TO the inhabi-
tants of our Virginia mountains The French
nation lives the longest. Is not the good
health Of the French one reason why they
are 80 rich and so happy, aud why French
emigrant outside of New York. city Is
rare bird2 He stays at home, drinks his
light wines, and fills out the full measure
of his DAYS, while other foreigners come
and tempt the uncertain climates of the
United States, and. like those whom the
gods love, die young, but by ungodlike IN
strumentalities-bad selection OF climate.
worse beer, and internal revenue whiskey.
Long-Liyed Men.
lEncyclopedIs Brittanical
Longevity is a term that may be applied
TO express either the length or duration OF
life of any organism or the prolongatlon
Of life TO an advanced age. The first mean
ing is the more scientific OF the two, as IL
NAV be applied to the duration of life OF
any organism; on the other hand, the Sc
cond meaning is the more common. as
when an instance of very. advanced age Is
spoken Of as an example of great longevity.
OLD ACE IN OLD TIMES.
The question Of longevity, however,
probably presents the greatest interest IN
its relation to man. 1t is still popular
belief that the earliest inhabitants OF the
world possessed an increditable strength,
were of an enormous size, and lived TO
yery great age, and the ages or the
patriarchs before the food are often taken
literally, although the conditions making
such long lives possible are at variance
with those Of human existence at the pres
ent day. In ancient history there are IN
stances given of heroes who attained the
age of several hundred years, but these
must be regarded as mythical.
ALLEGED LONGEVITY.
The following are few instances OF ex,
trepe longevity which have been placed
on record: Margaret Patten, 1877; the
Countess of Desmond, AS; Thomas Parr,
1872: Thomas Damme, 154 /; John Royen, ~,
and Peter Torton, 1885,. There can DC niue
doubt that the ages OF these people nave
been much exaggerated.
They lived at time when no accurate
chronological records were kept and when
IL was the habit to fix the dates of occur
rences by comparing them in the memory
with other events believed 70 have hap
pened about the same time.
SOURCES OF FALlACY.
Thus there were many sources of fallacy,
although the narrators no doubt believed
their statements TO be quite accurate.
Still there were instances OF prolongatlon
of human life far beyond the usual limits,
and there is no reason for doubling tnat
they ell lived till they were upwards OF
hundred years Of age.
"oLD MAN PARR."
Perhaps the best authenticated instance
of this kind is that of the famous Thomas
Parr. of Shropshire "He was poor farm
er's servant and obliged to maintain HIM
self by daily labor. When about one hun
bred and twenty years of age he married q
widow for his second wife, who lived with
him twelve years and who asserted that
during that time ne never betrayed any
signs of infrmity of age. Til MS one;
hundred-and-t hirtieth year he performed
all his usual work and was accustomed
even to thresh. Some years before MS
death his eyes and memory began TO tall,
but his hearing and senses continued
sound to the last.
PARR GOES TO THE KING.
"In his one hundred and fifty-second
wear his fame had reached London, and as
the King was DESTROYS of seeing so great q
rarity, he was induced to take a journey
thither. This, in all probability, shortened
his existence, which he otherwise might
have preserved some years longer; for he
was treated at court IN so royal manner
and his mode of living was SO totally
changed that he died soon after at LONDON
in 1885.
he LIVED UNDER NINE KINGS.
HE was one hundred and fifty-two
years and nine months old (says the local
chronicler quoted by the cyclopedlal ana
had lived under nine kings OF England.
What was most remarkable about this man
is that when his body was opened by Dr..
Havey (the discoyerer of the circulation or
blood his internal organs were found TO be
in the most perfect state. nor was the ieast
symptom of decay 10 be discovered IN
them. His cartilages were not even ossi-
fed, as is the case in old people. The
smallest cause of death had not yet settled
in his body; and he died merely OF pie,
thora, because he had been too wen
treated.n
INACcURACY OF SUCH NARRATIVES.
The late Sir George Cornwall Lewis at
tempted to show that all such narratives
were so inaccurate as TO reduce the ages OK
all parties 70 something under hundred
years, and he was disposed to think that
there had been no instance OF human being
attaining the age of hundred years. But
subsequent events have shown that lew
have attained that great age.
In these cases the evidence has not peep
of O collateral kind, nor has 1t depended
on human memory, but IL has been estao-
lished by written records.
Scarcely year passes without instances
occurring in which evidence that the de-
ceased attained hundred years cannot
be controverted, and there is no doubt
that when o sufficient time from the be.
ginning of the system of registration OF
births has elapsed such case viii be more
common.
AVERAGE DURATION OF LIFE.
The average duration of life in Europe Is
about "a years. 1t oscillates between Is. IL
years Prussia) and 1913 years (Schleswig-
Holstein IAursnbure). In Naples i y
quoted at S1.e5 years. This falls far short
OF the possible longevity, circumstance
chiefly to DO accounted tor by. tho great
mortality In the carly years OF life. Ac.
cording 10 De QustxefAges the duration Of
life y almost universally tina same amongst
tho best known peoplos- LAplanders live
to , great ago, men OF from 10 TO 90 years
OF ACE boinR oouroon amono than vho