The herald., 1894-09-08
cErpEr nFTONG LIFE
0HNACI4 Il OA Ia ~ ~ u -As-EAL A.
CAN A HEALTHY PERSON PRoLoNe
HIS LIFE TO 200 YEARS?
The Theory % sRetarding vital Consump-
tion"-FranlS1in and the Fiics-WorlE the
Heart Does-Recent Experiment In the
Partial Vegetarian System.

Heart Does-Recent Experiment In the
Partial Vegetarian System.
Among the various fantastic theories
for prolonging life one Of tho most popu-
lar at the end of the eighteenth century
was what was called ''retarding vital
consumption. Maupertuis fancied that
q complete suspension of vital activity,
a sort of Rip Van Winkle sleep, might
be produced so as to check self consuinp
tion. Bodies in this state could be laid
away and then resuscitated after lapse
Of two or three centuries. Benjamin
Franklin even, while living in France,
seems to have had faith in this One
day he received some bottles of wine
from Virginia. In one Of them-only
one-were a few dead flies, which the
great philosopher resolved to utilize in
an experiment. The month was July,
and these imported flies, which had
been ON spree in Virginia, had fallen
into the native wine and had been in
this state shipped to France, where they
were 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 q
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 in
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 flew
away to associate with Paris flies.
Franklin wrote of the incident:
"Since by such a acomplete suspension
of all internal as we'll as external con.
sumption it is possible to produce a
pause of life and at the same time to
preserve the vital principle, might not
such a 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 30 or more years by the genial
solar rays of my native country, only
that may see what improvement the
state has made and what changes time
has brought with it,
1t was once thought that people die6
from lack of what physicians called
"the vital principle :" 1t is phrase that
has fine. vague, mysterious sound, but
it really means little or nothing. Or, i'll
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 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 60 or 10 pulsations of the heart
the usual average-eyery 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 80 or go
pounds of blood in healthy movement.
Really it is wonder that one does not
wear out long before he usually does.
And it forces O new kind of admira-
ton from the thinking man when he
sees for the first time 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 rest,
but the heart keeps on through waking
hours as we'll as through sleep. Pauses
between the beats are all the vacation it
GETS which seems to be really no rest at
all. When one does not dream, even the
brain seems to sleep, or 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 vegetarians In fact,
most of these centenarians seem to have
lived just like common folk who die at
40 or 90. If 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, vague
sadness overcomes the social philosopher
when he thinks of what they might have
accomplished under more favorable con-
ditions for the success of the experiment.
AS to the admitted advantages of a
partial vegetarian system of living, M.
Francisque Sarcey, the famous French
critic, has been trying it, and in COM
munication to one Of the Partisan jour
nails gives his experience. Since April,
1898, he has touched no meat. In Au-
gust of the same year he reports that he
is only ga moderate vegetarian THAT
is, he only eschews meat and admits
eggs, cheese, butter, milk and fish to his
regimen. Contrary to the expectations
of both himself and friends, he finds
that he is in much more vigorous health
and in better working condition under
the influence of his new menu than be-
fore. At first he naturally felt hungry
an hour or two after eating, but after a
fortnight the flesh craving passed away,
and now he not only eats at the same
hours as before, but consumes much less
food. The advantages of the system are
described by him as most remarkable.
His mind is clearer, and he feels more
disposed for work He is no longer
sleepy after meals his brain is frasher