The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-10-20
TO ATTAIN GREAT AGE.

Apart from the lifeline in the palm of
| the hand, the stars which shore in the
heaven during the hour of your birth
and such like beliefs of former age,
| the learned men OF the present day tell
of one or two physical characteristics
whsrefrom a long life cam be argued.
One of these is the ownership of a large
actually large, not refatively-body.
This is explained by the geome.rical fact
that larger bodies have much more room
for the performance of the vital func-
tiorls at the same time that they are
incloEsd DIN a relatively smaller area from
which heat, perspiration and oilher ex-
penses of the economy are dissipated.
Another rule is found in that portion of
the brain from which all the functions
of life are carried on and where they
are all co-ordinatcd, breathing, the beat-
ing of the heart, the peristaltie action Of
/ the stomach during digestion and SIM
ilar necessities The larger this is, the
better, as in the case of the human
body Its size can be closely approxi-
mated by the following rule: From the
| tip of the skull behind, Its farthest pro-
| lection in the horizontal direction, to the
| little suture I'M the bone at the corner
of the eye, which is readily discernlble
| to the touch, draw line, actual or i'm
| aginary. Measure from this to the cer-
ter Of the orifice of the external ear
| AN inch represents about the average
life. More than this indicates a capacity
| for living longer.
Oliver Wendell Holmes gave some well
known rules for those who wished TO be
old, of which the most famous was: Be
! careful to select ancestors who have
| themselves reached great age. To this
he added another of equal importance:
| Acquire a mortal disease early in life
! BY this he meant much the same as
Montaigne did when he wrote: "At 80
a man is his own best physician or a
fool" On other words, important as 1t
is to come from ling-lived stock, 1t is or
| much greater moment to care for your
self, and to this end nothing contributes
so seriously as the knowledge of your
heaIth's being affected by a mortal dis
ease. Amy one can multiply examples
from his own experience where the little,
| puny, sickly one of the family-"the
"runt'-outlived all his more robust
brothers and sisters, simply by dint OF
caring for his own welfare.
The Indians especially in the South
west, are said to live to be 100 frequent
| ly, while $50 years are mot unknown
| among themqthegj Mum have shrdl eta
| among them. Contributing to this re-
| suit it is alleged, is "a plant called XII
| l1ay-in-bisun, which grows much in the
| form of maize, though not to exceed
| two feet in height. Tt is said to be al
ways in motion, whether ON the stalk
or laid in the pot to be cooked. Tt can
| mot be dried or preserved successfully,
however, and must be eaten fresh in
Indians from Maine to California pre-
serve the tradition of it.
DR.. J. r. Hayes, who is the medical
eXa miner for the pension board in WASH
| ington, has recently written "a book emil
| tied GLOW to Live Longer" in which he
| lays down few simple and necessary
rules. He points out that the use of
| alcohol in any form, tobacco, coffee, tea
and chocolate are all certain to result in
| injury, since all contain active poisonS
which are not helpful by way of nour-
| iEhment and give the system just so
| much more to do. He advises baths at
| frequent intervals, tells of the causes
| of many diseases and the best way to
| avoid them and is, in general, rational
and simple He believes that 1t will be
| as easy for man to live to be 100 IL
he conducts himself in accordance with
the best use of the reason he has been
garding it.