The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-12-01
WILL YOU LIVE LONG !?
Some Of the Signs OF Longevity
Noted by Physicians.
A Very Interesting Subject to All Sorts
Of People.

Every ono IN Interested In tho question of
long lifea applied TO himself, and all facts
bearing on 10 apo noted with becoming feol.
| ings Of self congratulation or otherwise 1T
is tho staying power that Is I'm demand,
backed by nn inherited and reserved vital
ity OF resistance against tho usual evils To
which all flesh and other perishable things
are subject
The law OF beredity, which our life in
suranec companies understand so well, Is
at the bottom of all calculations as "a
whether particular man or woman is
wound up for 20 years or will run down at
90 or 40 years.
Aside from this testimony, there are Ger.
tain physical qualities which have great
weight In determining tho result of the
struggle against conspirlng environment
An oak has one confguration and cedar,
pine or mullen stalk another It Is the
proper recognition OF such distinctions
that aids physicians In their prognosis and
turns the balance against apparently des-
perate chances.
At u recent meeting OF the Academy Of
Science Mr. Il. W. Warner I'm 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 indications OF his
longevity. A long lived person may be
distinguished from short lived person at
sight. In many instances "A physician may
look at the hand Of patient and tell
whether he will live or die.
"In the vegetable Hs well as In the AMI
NAL kingdom, each life takes it's character
istics from the lifo from which it sprung.
Among those Inherited characteristics we
find the capacity for continuing it's life for
given length OF time. This capacity for
living we call the inherent or potential
longevity.
"Under favorable conditions and envi-
ronment tho individual should live ont tho
potential longevity With unfavorablo
conditions this longevity may be greatly
decreased, but with favorable environ
mont tho longevity Of the person, the fam
ily or the race may be Increased.
Herein are presented the two leading
considerations, always present and always
interdepondcnt-the inherited potentiality
and the reactionary influences OF environ
ment
1.-THE primary conditions of longevity"
he continues, 'are that the beart, lungs
and digestive organs, as we'll as the brain,
should be large. IL these organs are large,
the trunk will be long and the limbs COM
parativeiy short. The person will appear
tall in sitting and short i'm standing. Tho
hand will have long and somewhat heavy
palm and short fingers. The brain will be
deeply seated. as shown by the -erigee Of
the ear being low. The blue hazel or brown
hazel eye, as showing ali intermission OF
temperament, is favorable indication
The nostrils being large open and free in
dicates large lungs A pinched and halt
closed nostril indicates small or weak
lungs"
These are general points of distinction
from thuse Of short lived tendencies, but
Of course subject 10 the usual individual
exceptions. still, il is well acknowledged
that tho characteristics noted are express
sions of inherent potcntiality, which have
been proved ON the basis Of abundant sta.
tistical evidence.
Again hc says truly:
I'm the case Of persons who have short
lived parentago on ono side and long Ii we'd
on the other sids tho question becomes
more involved. 1t is shown in grating
and hybridizing that nature makes su-
preme effort 10 pass the period Of the short
er longevity and extend the life to the
greater longevity. Any one who under
stands these weak and dangerous periods
of lifo Is forewarned and forearmed. II has
been observed that the children of long
lived parents mature much later and are
usually backward in their studies. Med |
ical Record.