St. Paul daily globe., 1893-04-19
CENrENARIANs.

NllkkEL DAVIDSON mas uIeu III tho
GO0dhue county almshOuSe at the re
markable age of 100 years. A few
months ago man died in another state
| at the age of 1l5 years. About every
state has few who are living beyond
the century mark. But all these people
are poor, many of them being paupers.
1t is doubtful if during the, past fifty
years any one of means and education
has lived a hundred years. There seems
TO be no reason for the difference in
longevity between the poor and the
rich, except it be in the matter of diet
and outdoor exercise. Investigation
shows that these people who live to be
so very old have always been temperate,
Jared upon the plainest diet and fol-
lowed outdoor pursuits. In most eases
is found that their ancestors, as far
| back as can be traced, have lived III
the same way. 1t is a demonstration
| of what human life can be under the
proper conditions. Parents who live
upon food which is beneficial and not
destructive to the stomach, follow open
air pursuits and indulge in no eXcesses,
follow in the footsteps of their parents.
And thus long-lived race is built up.
There is little question but that the
average of life antedating the Christian
era was more than twice that of the
present. The average was not materi-
ally reduced until several hundred years
after Christ. AT length there came
,I,a, f6al Ii
men of Europe fell into dissipation and
all sorts of excesses. These did not
generally live to be very old. We have
no record of the ages of the common
people; but as they were without the
means to indulge themselves, it is pre-
sumed that their average Of life was
quite as long as that of their generations
a thousand or more years back.
A hundred years ago the average OF
life in this country was much longer
than now. Soon after that it began to
decline, and reached the lowest point
about twenty-five years ago. Then it
began to increase, and has gradually
gone up ever since. Eminent phySl-
clans a5cribe the growth in the average
to the awakening in the matter of
physical culture which began about
that time.
1t used to be considered disgraceful
for women to be seen walking upon
the streets very much, and respectable
women seldom went out, except to ride.
Women then were little more than
house toys or kitchen slaves. They did
nothing for physical development and
were generally weakly. The physical
development of meu depended solely on
their work. They looked upon the
swinging of Indian clubs, dumb-bell
exercises, etc.. as mere boys play and
beneath their dignity.
ALI this is changed, and physical cult
ure is rapidly growing to be universal.
The potency of the bath and such
physical exercises as call into play every
muscle in the body is known to most
people. The victory is nearly won in
this direction, but this is not the whole
victory.
The next reformation must be in the
matter of food and habits. Suitable
food and temperance in all things are
4ullO do iii pOIbdUt Cl0 IilC iudbJCl Va
ercise. High authorities state that men
are growing much more temperate in
the use of liquor than in the past; but the
liquor question is not the only one which
must be looked after. Incorporate
use of tobacco. late hours and want
of sufficient rest and sleep, gluttony,
and eating rich food, are all evils which
must be corrected. Mr.. GLADsToNE's
habits of life should be studied and
emulated by everybody. He has always
lived upon the pIainest food, bathed
daily, and kept upa systematic physical
training.
Many people are so scrupulously neat
that they abhor speck of mud upon
their hands; yet earth applied to the
skin is most heaIthful. The ancient
Romans bathed in mud for health. and,
of course, bathed afterward in clean
water. They were most cleanly peO-
pie, and very long-iived.