The Louisiana populist., 1897-02-12
WILL YOU LIVE TO BE 100.
Some Of the Signs Of Longevity Noted BY
Physicians and Savants.

Physicians and Savants'
! Every enc is interested in the cues.
ton Of long life as applied to himself,
and all facts bearing On it are noted
with becoming feelings OF self-congra'
tulation or otherwise. 1t Is the staying
power that is in demand, backed by On
inherited and reserved vitality OF reais-
tance against the usual evils to which
all flesh and other pershable things
are subject.
The law of heredity, which our life
insurance companies understand so
we'll, is at the bottom of all calculations
as to whether particular man or we
! man is wound up for seventy years OF
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 conspiring en-
vironment. An oak has one configur-
alton, and a cedar, pine, or mullen
stalk another. 1t is the proper recog-
! milton OF such distinctions that aids
physicians in their prognosis, and turns
the balance against apparently desper-
| ate chances.
At a recent meeting of the Academy
of Science, Mr.. +. w. Warner, in speak.
ing upon the subject of biometry, or.
! fered some very interesting data, which
are in the main true.
Every person." he said 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 a
patient and tell whether he will hre or
die.
In the vegetable as we'll as in the
animal kingdom, each life takes Its
characteristics from the life from
which it sprung. Among these inherit.
ed characteristics we find the capacity
for continuing its life for given length
of time. This capacity for living we
call the inherent or potential longevity
Under favorable conditions and en-
vironment the individual should live
out the potential longevity. With urs
| favorable environment the longevity
may be greatly decreased, but with a
favorable environment the longevity
OF the person, the family, or the race
may be increased"
Herein are presented the two leading
considerations, always present and al
ways interdependent-the inherited po,
tentiality and the reactionary inhu,
ences Of environment.
'"The primary conditions Of longe,
witty" he continues, "are that the heart,
lungs and digestive organs, as we'll as
the brain. should he large. If these
organs are large, the trunk will be long
] and the limbs comparatively short.
The person will appear tail in sitting
and short in standing. The hand will
have long and somewhat heavy palm
and short fingers. The brain will be
deeply seated, as shown by the oritice
OF the ear being low. The blue, hazel
or brown hazel eye, rs showing an In
Permission Of temperament, is favor
able indication. The nostrils being
large, open and free indicates large
lungs. A pinched and half-closed nos
tril indicates small or weak lungs"
These are general points Of distine.
| ton from those of short-lived tenden-
cies, but, Of course, subject to the usual
individual exceptions. Still, 1t Is well
acknowledged that the characteristics
noted are expressions of inherent po-
/ tentiality, which have been proven on
the basis Of abundant statistical evl.
| dence.
Again he says truly:
| I'm the case Of persons who have
short-liyed parentage on one side and
long-lived on the other side, the Ques-
ton becomes more involved. 1t Is
shown in grating and hybridizing that
nature makes Il supreme effort to pass
the period of the shorter longevity and
extend the life to the greater longevity.
| Anyone who understands these weak
and dangerous periods of life is fore.
warned and forearmed. 1t has been
observed that the children of long-liyea
parents mature much later and are
usually backward in their studies."-
| Medical Record.
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