The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-01-18

BITS OF CURIOUS KNOWLEDGE
FROM MANY SOURCES.

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The Science OF Old Ags-Tsndency in Old
Are From Disesss to Become Chronic
Whatever Exeitss E1hasstisn should be
Torbiddsn-Interss Notes.
Old age has its special dangers AMI us
special safety with regard to disease. FOR
instance. whereas in child the tempera- |
turs goes up on the slightest proVoea'ion'
in old are il can hardly be moved al all /
The aged BODY IL not, as rule prons "
snv acute disease. II a person passes
eighty. Il is rare for him to be seized WIN
sny special malady. In injuries such az
fractures, though from the lightness anu
brittleness of the bones they are easily met
with. thsy are repaired solidly and quickly
.,.n in c.utenarians. Slight shocks cause
ssyere depression. but greater injuries ~
surmountde, and surprising recoNeries III ue
from severe maladies. WOUNDS auu ui0 -
often heal quicker than in the young; lne
I sged recover from attacks OF congesuon'
nsralysis. apopleIy, pneumonia, eryslpelas'
"a other affections III a surprising way.
! diseases. as we have said. often pass theiD
BY. A man ma ..,o ~ enc hundred In
Noise in which he had typhoid fever HIM
self. and in which many OF MS cnii-
dren and grandchildren have since
died from Il. IL is probable these
favorable results are due TO the long
time the organs have worked nitedly ana
helped each other, like old soldiers VINO
pull well together and Bear re'erses
under which younger troops would sue
cumb. There is, on the other hand, ten
| J. 10 aiipht HIgpaSQs 10 De-
ceme chronic. Now, as TO the care OF oid
age. the chief points are moderate and d.
gestisle food, sufficient warmth, aud On
even. uuiet life. The chiei OF the three IS
food, or fuel FOR the lainp Of life. While al
ared dieting is bad, where it can possibly
be avoided, few hints can be given that
NAV prove Of value. The older person Is
after ffty, the less food he requires. Luigi
CoruarO, who lived TO 100, though OF ieeDle
constitution, took twelve ounces Oh s1lu
food and fourteen ounces OF mud daily DUR
ing the latter part Of his .life, and his most
severe illness was caused by bis increasing
his allowance. through the continual en-.
treaties of his friends. Very little proteld
ar Animal food l. required, and though In
many respects false teeth are great boon
m IN. aged. they may lead 10 TOE great
CONSUMPTION OF animal food. u IA not
the hmOhnt OF Goals we put IN the CRATE
that warns the room, but the amount that
can be burnt, and the great point II
to avoid choking the dlgestNe anu
etcretory organs with excess OF food. lie
food of the nursery Is the best in old age.
Bread and milk and honey Is q capita diet
Milk agrees with nearly ali. Hot milk win
a little Mellin's food forms an admirabie
drink AT night and can be kept warm IN
> hot-water lug covered with cosy. run II
wholesome K ripe on we'll cooked. RAT j.
good. as cream or fresh butter. warm food
is very suitable. Soup enriched with cream
, or marrow is light aud nouri'ning' All
meals should be regular, aud all e1cesses
AVOIDED VI eight hundred persons over
eighty. 80 per cent. were moderate eaters'
, 30 per cent. small and only I'D per C ut.
large. IL weight is being gained, the del
. .bould We decreased. in addition % the
! affcr-dinner nap as years creep on, doZe
! after breakfast and before dinner Is often
= helpful As 10 clothing, II should DE botn
warm and light. Fur l. an admirable ma
terial. The Undertaking should De OF
, wool A seslskin wsistcoat 10 useful, ana
the teet and hands should b; Wen anu warm,
? Ia clothed. An elder down quilt on the bed
u which should be warmed in the winter, Is
. good covering No aged person should he
; unered TO yet cold in bed, Two A. VI IL
the hour when NEST deaths take place, When
, the temperature II the body In lowest and
its power, feoble-t. All habits Of Old peo'
, ME should be- respected, asd not lightly al.
tered. Whatever excites exhaustion should
, be forbidden. Early rising is therefore
! bad. Drinking hard water is mol
= good, "a it tends to hasten the caica
reous changes in the BODY. C.ftain
= common errors IN the care Of the aged may
be here pointed out; some We have already
! touched on: |. That the aged require rich
! fand very nOurishing diet. =. That early
rising is good for them. 3. That cold baths
J. inyigorate them; whereas they are ifsushl
with imminent danger, and are often iatal
3 4. That continual medicines and dinner pili'
are needed to digest the fOOdi whereas, IN
y stead. less should be eaten. o. mat tnt
:, rooms should be hot; whereas they snoulo
= be cool. but not COLDS degrees to 10 de
grees. q. That fixed diet should be rigid
= ly adhered to; whereas variety Is often es
y sential Old age is Of two sorts: that WhlcI
u 10 natural, and that which Is premsturel!
acquired in youth; and 1t need hardly D'
, observed that il is only OF the former variety
! ne now speak Self-denial often requires
: to be pracllced 10y the aged In many ways
though not arbitrarily. All known weak
= points in the constitution should be jealous
7 iy watched. No care as a rule snrrOundi
!. the aged such as guards the young, because
= H. ara not I'm many WAYS the same objects
= Of interest. But this is not ss II should be
, nor 10 it consistent with the Christian
= profession. In animals, death when i
= comes, is, as a rule, swift. There ia, will
y the vast msIorty, no old age and debility
d suffered amongst them. No long wastiDs
or disease or tumOrs embttcr their lives
they are killed by their fellows when theil
powers fail, and are thus delivered from
all these slow fortunes by one sharp stroke
n This apparent cruelty Of nature is thus
:. merciiui provision for those beings VIII
:, know not the meaning OF sympathy. Ii
d early ages and in savage lite it was thu
II same with man. The skulls found IN th'
l. grayel-b els are all full Of teeth, az Of thos'
c who died early. New, IN advanced clyiliza
J. ton. love and care prOlong life to grea
age. This il not an unmixed good. Almos
r the very existence OF slow decay and Ions
a disease has been brought about by the low
s and care that distinguish humanity. Henc,
Q il is a peculiarly noble and Christian worl
d TO lessen the sufferiDgs that in a sense on
. own care has made possible; and, az far a
d we are able, to make old age tperiod o
), serene sunshine and an unmixed bless
n ing i ou1On Qisurp Hour.