The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-14
foce must be behind it to hold and stay

foce must be behind it to hold and stay
decay!
The stoppage of circulation is death.
This seems true when applied to human
life. When applied to amphibious life this
does not hold true, for the frog may be
frozen solid every drop of his blood froz-
en-; thaw him out and he is still alive.
This is also true of many fishes.
The study of ordinary laws, now known
and apparent, in answer to the question
of longevity, is directed to laws of econ
omy which are compensatory. These
have been studied, experiments and re-
searches extending into all parts of the
biological world have been made, and my
general deductions are the following:
Structural quality of size seems 10 be
significant in value as guide TO longevi-
ty in animals and plants. 1t would seem
as If the initial impulse of inherent vital
energy, upon which all life depends for
Its causation, was so abundantly inner
tied as to be over and above that used
up in resisting disease and decay, and
that such surplusage of vital force haV-
ing no other use, gave impetus to growth
and increased structural strength.
Rapid development presages rapid de-
cay. Rapid growth also produces imms-
ture DEVELOPMENT. That which implies
quick construction also implies less In
it means less organic development In
short, early reproductive capabiiity is
the rule to a short life, 1t is the rule
In natures realm that small orsAnizatIon
great or early reproductive power and
short life are allied Nature in this way
seems to take care of it's various species.
for animals that are short lived are en-
abled to propagate more in order TO re-
produce rapidly that which time so quick
ly removes.
A few striking examples will bear out
this fact in the animal and vegetable king
doms:
Mammaia:
observation-disclosures age. two hundred
years. Fecundity, one birth at a time.
Greenland WhaIe-Extreme age, $50
years. Fecundity, every few years
Rabbit-Extreme age, eight years. Fee
cundlty, seven litters per year; average,
eight in litter.
Cat-Extreme age, IS years. Fecundity.
several filters per year; average, four
per litter.
Fish a{r.
Pike-Extreme age, 267 years. Fecundi-
ty, unknown. (Size of .ione mentioned by
Yarrel weighed 350i pounds and was 10
feet long)N
ADMINISTRATIONS age, 4 years. Fecun-
dity, countless thousands yearly.
Oviparous animals:
Ostrich-Extreme age 12O years. Fecun-
dity, few eggs yearly Sun performs in
hot climate the function of sitting in six
weeks.
Dove-Extreme age, 10 years. Fecundity,
almost continuously. Sits upon eggs ten
days
Plants:
The sequoia gigantea in California
measures ninety-one feet in circumfer-
ence and is 300 feet high; age per rings,
$50 years.
Very many annual and biennial delicate
in strength, small in size, living only one
or two years.
The rule of large organic structure and
late life holds good when applied to the
human race. Our centenarans were not
all large men; some were only of medi-
UNI stature; some below it. Still, the rule
of organic structure, as found in animals
will be borne out in the human ia Rily.
Not essentially when viewed in a sin
gle example but truly so when the rule
is applied to the class they sprung from
collectively. 1t is the order of the spe-
cies we must study. not an isolated spec
linen, but it is only by an average that
the fact becomes pronounced.
Thus we have nations of small stature
who are short lived. These | have divid-
ed into three groupings:
Group A-Races smallest sized men and
women and short lived: Eskimo, Mongol,
Burmese Siamese, japanese, Jukaghrites.
Korakites, Bengalese, Javanese, Malays,
Hottentots.
Group Braces moderate sized men and
women and longer lived: Chinese (South
race. Georgians, Arabs, Turks. Syrians.
Egyptians. Italians, Spaniards. French.
Group C-Races largest sized men and
women and longest lived: Chinese (Tar-
tar race, Scandnavans, English Rus
slams. Firms Bulgarians Irish. Scotch,
Germans.