New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-11
LONGEVITY OF THE JEWS.
REASONS WHY THEY OVERCOME THEIR APPAR-
EMILY UNAVOIDABLE SURROUNDINGS.
From The Family Doctor.


From The Family Doctor.
From time tmmcmoriaI physical visor has
been considered sine qua non 10 longevity.
Inc races that distinguished themselves IN the
history Of the world for their asgressiveness.
their physical pTOWeSS and ValOT have IN the
main been people Injured 10 hard manual labor
out OF door exercise and active modes Of living.
The Greeks Of old were as assiduous in their
devotion TO their sports and games as the Eng
lishman Of to-day IS TO his national pastimes Of
cricket and racing, or the German to his fencing
The Feuton Of the nineteenth century in phys
lcai development surpaSses all other races and
rules the world he is what some one has
dubbed masculine race. He is on the whole a
long lived race. He works with his hands. with
his body. with his legs and with his brain; in
fact, he works altogether. He is not apt to
stunt one portion Of his physical makeup to aid
in developing another portion. In his normal
condition he IS a country dweIler. and despises
the town
In contradistinctiOn to the Teuton let US con-
slider the Jew, and we speak now Of the masses.
Physically he is poorly developed Centuries Of
oppression have stamped ont his physical vigor.
II not his vitality Inc European Jew is under
sized, and markedly so. His mental yigor, how
ever, is unimpared, and probably the whole
is superior 10 his ueighbor's He is a city
dweer and betrays an inherent dislike for hard
manual labor or for physical exercise or exertion
in any form He Is aVerSe TO out of door sport
He prefers to live by his brain rather than
by his muscle His chest capacity is limited.
and he possesses many other features Of phys
zeal degeneracy. In fact, his physical makeup is
what one would expect 70 Hnd IN short lived
man. And here IS q surprising feature.
Possessing SO few Of the elements so long con-
sidered as necessary 10 longevity the Jew is
probably the longest lived of any race of people
now in existence. His tenacity Of life is remark
able In spite of the social conditions which
surround the mass Of the Hebrew population the
world over and especially in the large cities Of
America where they form q large percentage
Of the population, the death rate among the
jewish inhabitants Is but little over half OF that
of the average American population Professor
William L. Ripley in his papers on the racial
geography Of Europe in The Popular Science
Monthly discusses TINS question ably and
very fully. he states that If Two groups Of one
hundred infants each, one Jewish and one Of
average American parentage, be born upon the
same day, One-half Of the Americans will die
within fOrty-seven years. while the first half OF
the Jews viii not sUCcumb TO disease before the
expiration OF SeVehty-Ohe ears According 10
Lombroso, OF one thousand Jews born 217 die
before the age Of seven years, while 4J3 Chris
uans, more than twice as many, are likely TO
die within the same period.
The immunity Of the Jewish population from
accident on account Of their indoor occupation
viii account for some Of the discrepancy. but
on this very account they should be liable
to epidemic and other disease This is not
wholly true. however. They show an abnOr-
mahy small proportion Of deaths from consump-
ton and pneumonia, which are responsible for
me largest ptJDorIon OF deaths among me
American population. Professor Ripley ascribes
their immunity from this, well as from some
other diseases, 10 the excellent system Of meat
inspection prescribed by the Mosaic law. HOf
man says that in London as much as One-third
Of the meats offered for sale are rejected as UNI
for consumption by the Jews.
Jews are noted viii account TO some
extent for the longevity. The Jew is temperate
in almost all that he does. in all that ne eats,
and in all that he drinks He IS seldom addicted
To the Incorporate use Of alcoholic liquors He
abstains from certain varieties Of meat, and
those OF the richer and more heating KIND; SO
that his frugal diet his temperate use OF
liquors, his abstinence from certain foods which
are unwhoIesorne. account for his remarkable
freedom from Brights disease and diseases OF
the liver. which largely diseases Of intern
perance. To sum up the Jew. in spite Of his
physical condition and his social surroundings.
and by reason Of his temperance and sobriety
his frugahty and his freedom from accident
COntrives, the average. TO live nearly twice
long his more careless and imprudent
neighbors.