The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1894-09-28
SECRET OF LONG LIFE.
CAN A HEALTHY PERSON PROlONG
HIS LIFE TO 200 YEARS?

Among the various fantastic theo-
ries for prolonging life one of the
most popular at the end of the eight
tecnth century was what was called
"retarding vital consumption" Maui
pertuis fancied that a complete sus-
pension of vital activity, a sort of
Rip Van. Winkle sleep, might be
produced so as to check self con-
sumption. Bodies in this state could
be laid away and then resuscitated
after lapse of two or three centu-
ries. 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 thcm-only onc-were
few dead flies, which the great phil
osopher resolved to utilize in and
experiment. The month was July,
and the imported flies, which had
been on spree in Virginia, had fall
len 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 apparent death
of many weeks. At first sort of
convulsivc movement seized them.
They began then to use their legs,
walked around awilc, and seeming
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:
"Sincc by such Il complete sus-
pension of all internal as we'll as cx-
tcrnal consumption it is possible to
produce Il pause of life and at the
same time to pcrscrvc the vital prin-
ciplc, 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 Il few good friends, in wine and
to be again called back to life at the
end of 80 or more years by the gen
ial solar rays of my native country,
only that | may see what improve
mcnt the state has made and what
changes time has brought with it. "
1t was once thought that people
1ied from lack of what physicians
called "the vital principle" 1t is a
phrase that has fine, vague, myste-
rious 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 bodily or
gans, brought about by the all i'm
portant blood being blocked up by
accresions which close the channels
leading from the heart Most mag
nificent and most wonderful muscle
as the human heart is, il may get
clogged in such a way by the earthly
salts in the blood as to be unable to
perform its regular functions. Then
the life fluid cannot be kept in
proper circulation. Allowing G9 or
10 pulsations of the hcart-thc usual
avcragc-evcry minute, one person
has 10000 heart beats in the space
OF one day. This means of course,
that the heart and arteries are con-
tracted with such power as to keep
SO or 60 pounds of blood in healthy
movement. Really it is a wonder
that "uc does not wear out long be-
fore he usually does. And it forces
a new kind of admiration from the
thinking man when he sees for the
first time human being who has
lasted 100 or 145 years, and whose
heart is still going on after all this
enormous 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. Pauscs between the beats
arc 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 quict.
Mnch has been written and talked
about vcgctarianism in relation to
health and its effect on long life. 1t
is not claimed, however, by its strict
advocates that any Of the of the
great number Of people who have
lived to be 100 and over were vcgc-
tarians. In fact, most of these cen
tcnarians seem to have lived just like
common folk who die at 40 or so.
If they had only taken care of thcm>
selves 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 overcomes the
social DhiloSobhrr wbrp bn thinks nf