Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-09-28

P3rttal Vegetarian System.
Among the various fantastic theories
;or prolongi,ig lifo one of the most popu.
l;.r at the cad of the eighteenth century
was what was called ''retarding vital
consumption. L." Maupertuis fancied that
8 complete suspension of vital activity,
IL sort of Zip Van Winkle sieep, might
Lo produced so as to check self consulnp
tion. Bodies in this state could be laid
away and then resuscitated after lapse
II two or three centuries. Benjamin
Franklin even, while living in France
seems to have had faith in this. One
day he rec iyod some bottles of wine
from Virginia. In one of them-only
olie-wcre few dead flies, which the
great philosopher resolved to utilize in
an experiment. The month was July,
and these imported flies, which had
tocn ON spree in Virginia, had fallen
into the native wine and had been in
this state shipped to France, where they
We're exposed to the heat of the French
sun. Three hours passed, and the winged
Virginians came to life after an appar.
ent death of many weeks. At first a
sort of convulsive movement seized
them. They began then to use their
legs, walked around awhile, and seem
ing to be aware that they were il
France Immediately concluded to make
their toilet by rubbing their eyes with
their fore feet, using their hind legs to
smooth out their wings. They then few
away to associate with Paris flies
Franklin wrote of the incident
'Since Ivy such complete suspension
of all internal as well as external con
sumption it is possible to produce
pause Of life and at the same time to
preserve the vital principle, might not
such process be employed in regard to
man? can imagine no greater pleasure
than to cause myself to be immersed
along with few good friends, in wine
and to be again called back to life at the
end of 80 or more years by the genial
solar rays of my native country, only
that l may see what improvement the
state has made and what changes time
has brought with it. {"
1t was once thought that people died
from lack of what physicians called
"the vital principle. " 1t is a phrase that
has fine, vague, mysterious sound, but
it really means little or nothing. Or, in
other words, it is now conceded that
death comes from disintegration, very
gradual often, it is true, in all the bod
lily organs, brought about by the all i'm
portant blood being blocked up by ac
cretions which close the channels lead
ing from the heart Most magnificent
and most wonderful muscle as the
human heart is, it may get clogged in
such a way by the earthly salts in the
blood as to be unable to perform its reg
ular functions Then the life fluid can
not be kept in proper circulation. AL
lowing SO or 70 pulsations Of the heart
the usual average-every minute, one
person has 100, 900 heart beats in the
space of one day. This means, of course,
that the heart and arteries are contracted
with such power as to keep so or 60
pounds Of blood in healthy movement.
Really it is a wonder that one does not
wear out long before he usually does.
And it forces new kind of admira-
ton from the thinking man when he
sees for the first time a human being
who has lasted 100 or 115 years, and
whose heart is still going on after all
this enoromus expenditure Of force. The
eyes, ears and stomach all have a rest,
but the heart keeps ON through waking
hours as we'll as through sleep. Pauses
between the beats are all the vacation 1t
gets, which seems to be really no rest at
all. When one does not dream. even the
brain seems to sleep, OF at least it gives
peace and quiet
Much has been written and talked
about vegetarianism in relation TO health
and its effect ON long life. 1t is not
claimed, however, by its strict advo-
Gates that any of the great number OF
people who have lived to be 100 years
and over were yegetarians. In fact,
most Of these centenarians seem 10 have
lived Just like common folk who die at
40 or 80. II they had only taken care OF
themselves and kept their blood In good
condition, there is no telling but 200
years may have been scored as easily as
100. Natural advantages being so great,
as shown by what they did DO a vague
sadness oyercomes the social philosopher
when he thinks Of what they might have
accomplished under more favorable con
ditions for the success OF the experiment
As 10 the admitted advantages OF
partial vegetarian system Of living, M
franoisque sareey, the famous French
critic. has been lTying II, and Ia q com
muBieatiOn 10 one Of tho Pansian jour
pals gives his experience Since April,
1893, he has touched no meat, IN Au'
Eust a fhe same year he reports that be
N only "a moderate vegetarian n"--thai
~ he only esehews meat and admits
tRgz, cheese, butter, milk sad hsh 70 bis
ftRimen Contrary ~ fbe expectations
NJ both himself and friends he nnas
Ma be - ln much m0fe vigorous health
NJ ~ heller working condition under
~ lgnpenoe ~ his neW mspg than be-
fWe A. iifst he naturally felf hungry
NJ BON ~ fWo afteT eating bat aff4 q
I1lilligli tho nesh 0faYina passed sway,
~ p9H ~ n0i 0nly eats "a ilie Same