Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1894-10-07
HUMAN LONGEVITY.
NEW ENGLISH STATISTICS SHOW
DECREASE
In the Expectation Of Lits-SOms Interesting Cases
Of Extreme longevity Rscalled-an East
Indian Three Hundred and Seventy Years
Old.
sns.,nl cnrr.,nona.na. OF ths Ragt,..r.

! spscidl CorrssDondsnes Of ths REGISTER.
PHILADELPHIA, PA, October Cat
a recent meeting of one OF England
largest life insurance companies IL was
| found on reviewing the new vital STA
| tlstics that the average male citizen OF
that country, over twenty years DID,
must abandon all hope OF enjoying as
| long a life as that allotted to the CORE
| spending individual of the previous gen.
Grafton. Another fact which was
| brought to light is that there has been
| during the past year, in the Isle OF John
| Bull, 4 sS,Hdy Increase in the mortality
! OF the so-calIed better classes" 10
which their candidates for life insur-
ance generally belong. Before long our
vital statistics for the census o. 1890
will have been untangled by DR.. By
| lings, of the Army Medical Museum,
and we will have another opportunity
of comparing notes with our British
cousins and our other foreign relatives.
II will be remembered that by our for
mer decennisl reckoning we found onr-
selves superior To every other nation
of the world in this respect.
AS the diligent student OF the times
has noticed, there have been many un-
usual cases OF extreme longevity re-
ported within the last year, both at
home and abroad, some persons having
exceeded the six score, or 120 years,
believed by old time scientists 10 have
been the usual length OF mans life
during the period before the deluge.
Good authorities agree that such cases
have not been known for many years
and there has been, on this account,
revival among them Of the time worn
argument as to whether mans standard
OF life, in the long run, is really tending
toward IN increase or decrease. But
il appears that freaks Of great age have
popped up, now and then, ever since
the first DAYS OF history, without any
special significance. In the library Of
the Medical Museum, DR.. Billings has
scores of old medical works, some sew
eral centuries old, full Of unique stories
given in confirmation OF various
opinions OF the ancient profession on
this subject.
DR.. EaSton of London who wrote a
century aud a half ago, describes an
East Indian named Numas de Cugna,
who died at Bengal In 1856, at the age
OF $40 years. He says that this verita-
BILE prince Of India" grew four differ
ent sets Of teeth, and that his beard
turned black again, four times, after II
had turned gray. He was converted to
the doctrine of the Koran when he was
100 and remained loyal TO it two cen
turtles and a half, although he had the
record OF having outiYed 700 wives.
This same writer also refers 20 the cele-
brated case Of "Old Parr," who was at
one time the greatest wonder OF Eng
land. His right name was Thomas
Parr and his occupation was that OF
domestic in the household of an Eng
lsh noble when he died in 1885, in his
152nd year. He married the first time
when he was eighty-eight, and on be-
coming gay widower, at 102, he got
entaugled in a scandal with a young
country charmer, for which affair he
had TO do penaDce In church. He mar
ried the second time at the romantic
age OF 100, and il was said that up to
the time he was 100 there was no labor
ing work which was too hard for him
TO perform. A few years before
his death this old fellow went into the
employ Of the Earl Of Arundel, in Lon
don, who on one occasion presented him
TO Charles l. During this visit the king
remarked: "Wel, old man, you have
lived TO remarkable age. tell US what
remarkable things you have done in
your life?' 81 did penance in church
81 Cd
Parr. When asked for a prescription
for long life, Parr once said, Keep your
head cool by temperance, and your feet
warm by exercise; rise early and go
soon 10 bed, and il you are inclined to
get fat, keep your eyes open and your
mouth shut" But it appears that the
author Of this rule, which became pro-
verbal in England, did not live up TO il
himself, since his post norton showed
that his death was caused by nothing
else than iutemperance at TOO hearty
meal His vital organs were as sound
as those Of a healthy child, and
had it not been for the unfortunate feast
he might have been with US to-day.
Easton also mentions Hungarian peas
ant named Torton, who died in 1924,
aged lS5. Another Hungarian peasant
and his wife both died in 174l, las years
after they were married; be was 172
and she lG4. Henry jenkins, an Eng
lishman, died in 1870 aged 100. He was
a fisherman, and was known to swim
long distance after he was 100.
The Irish Countess OF Desmond was
145 when she died in 1912, having re-
newed her teeth several times. Upon
the ruin of the House of Desmond, when
she was 40, this old lady had to ride
from Bristol TO London on horseback,
in order 20 obtain aid at court. William
Edle, the sexton OF a church situated in
g little village on the suburbs OF Edin-
burg, is said TO have buried tie whole
population OF the town three times. He
did not marry his second wife until long
after he was centennarian, An Irish
man named Carollan lived 10 be l27,
about this time, and it is mentioned in
his connection that he was blessed with
twelve fingers aud the same number Of
toes. A bachelor OF Marcia, who died
In his 1slst year, bathed In the River
Segura every morning OF his life,except
when it was frozen over too solid for
him 10 break the ice. A man with the
heroic name Of Hui, who also lived on
the suburbs Of Edinburg, died in 1867
in his l3lst wear, having walked several
miles to a christening few days before.
A Yorkshire, England, farmer named
Confit died the same year aged Isl,
having always eaten raw, new laid
egg every day. Another Englishman.
Butler. died the year previous, when be
was l33 He was a great horseback
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