Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-08-16
100 YEARS FOR EVERY MAN
The Secret of Prolonging Lfe-Any Man Deprived
of Full Century Is Cheated Of His Due.


forty, and we should by no means
stand where we are, but would be back
lin the twilight ages if bereft of what
! 1they have accomplished. ~ |: !
/ could quote numerous instances iE
81 every department OF human activity in
4 refutation Of Oslers age limit at ferty.
and were a balance struck between the
truly great and effectual achievements
of men at from thirty to forty on the
one hand and forty to fifty on the 9TH
er. I am inclined to think that in pro-
portion to the numbers living in these
1.-TWO decades respectively, the advan-
ltagc would be with the latter. not only
lin magnitude. but in profitableness to
mankind.
| And further, ] am prepared 10 Haln-
ltain that long after fifty, and long af-
ter sixty, when, according 70 Osler,
compulsory retirement and silence
tshould be imposed upon all sorts and
lconditions of men, contributions Of in
cstinable value have been made to
knowledge, and the arts and sciences,
Iwhile wisdom has fOurished like 4
palm tree. The Senate of the Ages,
like that Of Rome has been composed
Of gray boards.
| nave iiihttt, iOi tiiiiC ildo iIol
lowed more than a hint, thal in the
lhiSher nerve centres evolution goes on
late in life, and that even in what is
called old age the freshness of youth
may sometimes survive. And / have
limited also that the natural evolution
Of our nerve centres is largely inter-
fered with and too often arrested by
unfavorable environment and deieteri-
IaY I.tt t.if hal .f
and that old age is thus prematurely
induced, unduly abbreviated, or loaded
with infrmities that do not necessarily
Ibelong to it. And if l We're asked to
what extent retrogression is thus has
tened and old age abbreviated. / would
say that il is a good working hypothe-
sis that the natural life of man is 100.
and that in so far as it falls short OF
that it is "curtailed by fair prOpOr-
ltion"
| To lengthen as well as to strengthen
the lives of the people is the object Of
preventive medicine. Certain great
measures that lie beyond its scope are
first Of all necessary If we would pro-
long the days of the masses of our peo-
pie. Regular employment must be Sc
cured. and poverty diminished by our
statesmen and economists. so that we
may no longer have amongst us thir-
! teen millions on the verge Of hunger
and dying in muItitudes before their
time.
But within the sphere Of preventive
medicine. although much has been done.
much infinitely remains 10 be done.
If old age is 10 be attained. "A good start
in life must be given. and hence the i'm
portance Of these questions as to in
fant feeding and milk supply which We
are to discuss here. II 1t is 10 be reached
by proper proportion of wayfarers In
sound condition, we must reduce the
prevalence Of those Infectious diseases
which carry off 50 many young. and Of
ten cripple where they do not kill. and
we must see that our children have =
suihciency of food and sufficiency of
teeth with which to eat il.
II it is to BE- wisely pursued. we must
foster the self-respect and arrest the
degeneration of our people by giving
them decent houses and promote their
physical development by affording them
facilities for exercise. Peculiarly desir-
able II is that we should warn the pub
lie against those causes of premature
senilty which operate with disastrous
effect when childhood is over. / am
not prepared to indulge in any general
denunciation of alcohol, but there can
be no question that an excess of it
does make men old before their time
| Whatever tends to diminish disease is
conducive to longevity, but i'm our en-
dcavor to promote ii, we must have re-
gard TO mental. as we'll as bodily hy-
gicnc great deal of premature de-
cline in force and energy is due to over
use of the brain and nervous system.
DR. Mc1-ane Hamilton says that Ameri-
cans break down at an earlier age than
! Europeans. especially from nervous all
ments, and he attributes this to their
struggles for the rapid accumulate ion of
wealth to the competition and ambitious
which are largely stimulated by agi-
| rational newspapers. to the worries and
anxieties of business in which men i'm
merse themselves without recreative re-
lief to huStlng. Overeatng. insuffi- |
cient exercise and luxurious living gem
orally.
In all these matters we are not very
far behind our American cousins, and if |
we are to lower our death rate and pro-
mote old age. we must return to simpli- |
city and tranquility of life. And as re- |
! CARDS the masses of our people, we
| must. as far as may be, alleviate the |
| anxieties that press on them. and sure |
ly one step in that direction would be |
the establishment. of old-age pensions. |
Life insurance has. by the composure of |
mind it has secured done something to |
prolong life. and national insurance
against old age by removing those ap- |
prehensions that must sometimes |
harass even the bucolic mind would. I |
believe. contribute to n hale old age |
| The French Chamber of Deputies has |
within the last ten days. unanimously |
adopted bill granting relief to the
| aged and infirm.
Every man Is. 7 think. entitled to his
century. and every woman to century
and little more. for women live longer
than men. Every child should be |
brought up impressed with the. obli-
cation Of living to a hundred, and [
should be taught how to avoid |
nj &c =