Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1896-08-20
Slow Methods Prolong Human
Existence.
SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF PHYSIOLOGY
How to Reach the Age of One
Hundred Years.
Interesting Chapter on the Means of Pro-
longing Human Existence-rositive Con-
illusions Reached Through the Scientific
Study OF Physiology.
New York Evsnins Telegram.


sphere of existence. and the universal de-
sire is for prolongation of life. When
Rip Van Wrinkle said:-"May you live
long and be happy" he epitomized the
object of life. From the days of the old
alchemist to the Spanish navigator down
to the present time man has ever been
endeayoring to discover the elixir of life
or has sought tho tabled fountain of eter-
nal youth, and the great problem, "What
is the secret of longevity?" is still un-
answered and only partially solved.
According to statistics annually one per-
son In every 1894 in the United States
takes his own life. This is true as to de-
liberate suicide. Professor Grindon af-
dms that nearly all mankind actually, but
through ignorance and unconsciously,
commit suicide. He says:-"We do not
die; we kill ourselves"
When we consider the irregular habits
Of the human rnce, the intemperance, the
gluttony, the fret and worry, the waste
of physical and mental powers, the useless
expenditure of vital forces, Professor
Grindon states an actual fact. We do
kill ourselves.
Every species In the vegetable and ami
NAL kingdom has term of life exclusive
~ its own-a fixed period of years. 1ndi-
vidual plants, trees, reptiles, animals and
men may die at all ages of their existence,
but of the species, as collective life, each
has a term of years decreed it by the
nature of its organization.
Cicero said:-''To live long one must
necessarily live slowly" Cicero's aphor-
ism expresses a truth demonstrated by
nature. Those species in the vegetable
and animal kingdom which take the most
time in developing their organization and
are the longest in arriving ut maturity
are endowed with long life. Early ma
turity means early death, either in vege-
table or animal life.
Professor Grindon continues in his
views as given in the Detroit Free Press:
Most intimately connected with long
evity is the greater or lesser intensity of
the vital action; in proportion to the rapid
ity with which an animal lives is invaria
bly, the brevity of its lease. 1t is because
trees live SO slowly that they endure for
centuries, and because animals live so
fast that few of them reach fifty years.
All of the longeval animals have a rela-
lively lower vital energy; all of the short
lived Tor at least such as attain any con-
siderable bulk) possess it in excess. As a
result of this condition we usually find the
longeval creatures deliberate and stately
in their movements and leading calm and
placid lives, like the elephant and the
swan, while the short lived ones are as
remarkable for their sportive restlessness,
as they course about the fields or sail
through the sky or water. Creatures that
run much are rarely if ever long lived.
In the vegetable kingdom it is the same;
the longeval tree is tranquil and august;
the gourd, that dies with the close of sum-
mer, is rampant and wanton."
Man has been endowed with a sufficient
supply of vital forces, or resources from
which to draw upon. to enable him to live
to good old age. He is free to use them
as he will. He Is independent and un.
restricted, and can act with the same
liberty as IL he had $4,000 standing to
his credit In the bank. He can spend
that $4,000 in one year, If he SO desires
or even in a week or a day, or he car
judiciously expend it in such manner
as to administer to his necessities and
comforts during the whole period of his
life. So with the vital forces given tc
our credit by the Creator. A eonserva
ton of these forces insures a useful ant
happy life, extended to its natural tern
of existence. That common expression
che is living fast" when referring to
both a moral and physiological truth.
Some years ago a census taken in New
England, with especial reference to thu
investigation to longevity, brought reptile
from $500 octogenarians, with this re
suit Climate and temperature had M
influence, SO far as New England wa
concerned, as the people lived on the sea
shore, on the islands, in valleys and upoi
mountains. Of these aged people 95 on
of every 100 were married. All wer
early risers and early retirers, and 10 on
of 20 had observed this custom through
out life. Meals were eaten three times
day, with dinner always at noon. Al
worked hard up to sixty-five or seyent
years of age, and after that period ha
taken exercise by working in the garde
or by walking. They were all active an
fond of constant occupation. Out o
1000 men, 461 had been farmers throug
life, 90 carpenters, 20 merchants, 81 mar
ners, 40 laborers, Al shoemakers,
manufacturers, % clergymen, 16 bank
ers, II each iron workers, mill hands
physicians and lawyers, and the remain
der were divided among nearly all of til
other trades and occupations. Nearly a
began life upon the farm. Eight hur
bred out of 1000 women had been farm
ers' wives.
The diet of these people had been regr
lar New England home dishes of mea
vegetables and pastry. All were modcrat
eaters with good appetites. More tina
two-thirds were habitual users of tea an
coffee. Few of the men and none of tn
women were users of Intoxicating hevel
ages, and not dozen out of the numbe
used liquor to excess. A large majorit
nf the nGpl fnhnnnn hot
and chewing. Quite number quit afte
using it for twenty, thirty or fifty years.
Out of 1,O49 men, 3S2 had never bee
sick from childhood, and out of 500 We
men, % had never been sick. The me
were bony and muscular and the womc
plump. While these people were cleanly
they were not much given to bathing, an
We're not Informed upon sanitary matter.
Only few of these old people were en-
ployes. From this evidence one write
has drawn this conclusion-"Either tina
n man with the element of long life witt
in him is more independent in nature @
that spirit of independence fostered ia
years tends TO prolong existence. 1t need
10 collection of statistics to prove that i
most cases one who works for Ion
period for another has a weaker indiyiC
ualiiy than he who is an employer
1t is evident from the foregoing fact
that these old people conserved thei
vital forces. were regular in their habits