The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1894-08-01
LONGEVITY Is on THE INCREASE.
Men Live Much Longer Than They
Used 10, Particularly in America.

Used TO, Particularly in America.
A writer in the Washington Post calls
/ attention 10 the many instances Of re,
markable longevity which from year "a
| year have been reported Passing by
/ the hundreds of years asserted 10 have
| been lived by the anJediluyian heroes OF
Hebrew tradition. the apparent numbers
| in which may mean something entirely
| different from what they would mean IN
our decimal scale of enumeration, and
down through the Greek and subsequent
| ages, whose method q counting we co
not understand. we find a continuous
| record Of persons arriving at an adj
yanced old age. These, from one poins
Of view, constitute a very small minor
ity, and yet from another. form q con-
siderable and important element.
The numbel. of deceased persons who
had attained an exceptional old age was
probably greater in the year 1893 IMAM
| in any recent period. During the last
three or four months Of the year ths
general public became familiar through
a perusal Of the daily papers with ina
remarkable obituaries Of those who had
departed having lived 10 great old
age. A month or so since We read or =
life that had reached the extraordinary
limit Of 135 years. We have since read
OF the death of e woman at Hartford.
Conn, who was old enough 10 give warn
ing of the approach of the British fleet
in 1872, and so saved the New England
coast from threatened devastation. And
still later we have been apprised OF ths
death at Terre Haute, Ind. OF a man
104 years old. who attended the funeral
Of Washington. east his first vote Tor
Madison and was a soldier i'm the war
Of 1872 From other data II Is apparena
that great longevity has been on the
increase for many years, particularly IN
America.
But il may be remarked that the con-
situations that carried these persons up
to the centennial mark or beyond were
formed very many years before Alner1-
cans began living al the present rate,
and that the best part OF most or these
old lives was passed before the modern
suicidal rush of the society and business
worlds To have a good chance fer
longevity It is almost unnecessary 10 say
THAI an originally good constitution is
Of the first importance, though 70 this
primary excellence carefuineSs n tha
art Of living must be added. The secret
of long life is one of which nature alone
holds possession. a remarkable fact Is
that Intellectual activity and success
have been no barriers to long life. Even
deep philosophical studies have proved
a help rather than hlndrance 10 men
Of literary pursuits NOltaire. who ae
birth was put into a quart pot, could
never have attained his eighty-fourth
year had he not followed the strict, so
Der. active life which he chose. Glad
stone exercises the highest powers OF
successful craftsmanship ar an age of
eighty-four years, after having UNDER
gone the constant turmoil of political
contest for considerably more than hllt
century. Bismarck is practically an
octogenarian. Won Moltke was near
ing ninety when he died It
seems that the review of these
and numerous other instances
would sufficiently establish the theory
that continuous intellectual activity Is
conducive to the perpetuation of good
health and the prolongation Of life.