The herald., 1896-12-09
'SS$SvSSvSvY$S
! SOME SIGNS
! OFLOHGEVITY
3 Z


of long life, as applied to himself, and
all facts bearing upon it are noted with
| becoming feelings of self cOngratula-
! tion or otherwise, says the Chattanooga
News. 1t is the staying power that is
| in demand, backed by an inherited and
reserved vitality of resistance against
! the usual evils to which all flesh and
| other perishable things are subject.
| The law of heredity, which our life
| insurance companies understand so well,
is at the bottom of all calculations as
to whether a particular man or wOmaG
is wound up for seventy years, or will
run down at twenty or forty years.
Aside from this testimony there are
certain physical qualities which have
great weight in determining the result
of the struggle against a conspiring en-
vironment. An oak has one conf1gura-
ton, and cedar. pine or mullen stalk
another. 1t is the proper recognition of
such distinctions that aids physicians
in their prognosis, and turns the bal
ance against apparently desperate
chances.
At recent meeting Of the academy of
science, Mr.. F. w. Warner, in speaking
upon the subject of biometry, offered
some. very interesting data, which are
in the main true.
Every person." said he carries
about with him the physical indica
tions of his longevity. A long-lived per-
son may be distinguished from short
lived person a sight. In many instances
a physician may look at the hand Of
patient and tell whether he will live or
die.
I'm the vegetable. as well as In the
animal kingdom, each life takes its
chara cteristics from the life from whicn
it sprung. Among these inherited char
acetristics we find the capacity for con-
tinuing its life for a given length of
,ic ci
the inherent or potential longevity.
Under favorable conditions and envi-
ronmentS the individual should live out
the potential longevity. With unfavor-
able conditions this longevity may be
greatly decreased but with favorable
environment the longevity of the per-
son, the family or the race may be in
creased"
Herein are presented the two leading
consid tions. always present and al
ways interdependent-the inherited po-
tentiality and the reactionary influences
of environment.
The primary conditions of longevity
he continues. ARE that the heart lungs
and digestive organs, as we'll as the
brain, should be large. If these organs
are large. the trunk will be long ana
the limbs comparatively short. The
person will appear tall in sitting and
short in standing. The hand will have
u long and some what heavy palm and
short fingers. The brain will be deeply
seated. as shown by the oriice of the
ear being low. The blue hazel or brown
hazel eye, as showing an intermission OF
temperament is a favorable indication.
The nostrils being large, open and free
indicates large lungs. A pinched AMI
half-closed nostrl indicates small or
weak lungs"
These are general points of distinction
from those of short-lived tendencies, bu.
of course subject to the usual individual.
exceptions. Still, it is we'll acknowl-
edged that the characteristics noted
are expressions of inherent potentiality.
which have been proven on the basis of
abundant statistical evidence
Again he says truly:
In the case of persons who have
short-lived parentage on one side and
lcng-lived on the other side, the ques-
ton becomes more involved It Is
shown in grating and hybridizing that
nature makes supreme effort to pass
the period of the shorter longevity. Any
one who understands these weak and
dangerous periods of life is forewarnad
and forearmed 1t has been observed
that the children of long lived parents
mature much later and are usually back
ward in their studies