The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-09-23

the men above 40, we should be, not
outstanding the loss of few scat
tered treasures of great price, practical
~ where we are today. 1t would be an
incalcula BILE benefit, he argued, in COM
mercial, in political and in professional
of age.
life in its entirety is obviously between
25 and 40 years Of age, but to say that
men above the latter age are COM
para lively useless, is to fly in the face
Of the biographical dictionary: Much
of the best work of the world has been
done by men over 40, and we should by
no means stand where we are, but would
be back in the twilight ages if bereft
of what they have accomplished.
[ could quote numerous instances in
every department Of human activity
in refutation of Osler 8 age limit at 40,
and were a balance struck between the
truly great and effectual achievements
hand and 40 to so on the other, am
inclined to think that in proportion to
the numbers living in these two decades
respectively, the advantage would be
with the latter, not only in magnitude,
but in proftableness to mankind.
+. And further, am prepared to main
tain that long after So, and long after
pu1sory retirement and. silence should
be imposed upon all sorts and condi-
lions Of men, contributions of inestima-
BILE value have been made to knowl-
edge, and the arts and sciences, while
wisdom has fourished like a palm tree.
The senate of the ages, like that Of
Rome, has been composed Of gray
boards.
I have hinted-for time has not al
lowed me more than hint, that in the
higher nerve centers evolution goes on
late in life, and that even in what is
| called old age the freshness Of youth
may sometimes survive. And I have
limited also that the natural evolution
OF our nerve centers is largely inter
fered with and too often arrested by
unfavorable environment and deleteri-
| GUS habits of life or methods of work,
and that old age is thus prematurely
induced, unduly abbreviated, or loaded
with infrmities that do not necessarily
what extent retrogression is thus has
tened and old age abbreviated, I would
say that it 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 proper
ton. -
Every man is, I think, entitled tt
his century, and every woman to 6
century and little more, for wome1
live longer than men. Every chile
should be brought up impressed with
and should be taught how to avoid the
Irregularities that tend to frustrats
| that laudable ambition. r. ):
Metehnlkotf, who accepts as prob
able the assignment of such ages as 1Ot
to l2O years to biblical personages
such as Aaron, Moses and Joshua, say
our inmost convictions assure us tina
the present duration of life is too short
and expresses his opinion that science
OF the prolongation of life can be bull
up. Even now life is frequently pro
longed to 100 years, for the centena
rians are not the rarae ayes they wer
at one time supposed to be. =:
Among the deaths registered in Enc
land and Wales in 1908, fifty-three wer
Of reputed centenarians, of whom seven
teen were males and thirty-six females
In 1901 and 1902 the number had bee
sixty-one and ffty-six respectively. A
these cases had been made the subjec
OF special inquiry, and in each Their
were grounds for believing that the az
stated was correct. They seem to il
validate Professor Ray Lancaster
view that centenarians are monstros
ties comparable with persons who hay
attained gigantic stature, for giant
are not so numerous, and, moreove
centenarians are as q rule remarkab]
/ for their health and yigor, where's
/ giants almost invariably exhibit sign
: of pathological weakness. In the yea
/ 1903, 1876 men and 1856 women
| 1851 persons-died in England an
Wales at ages exceeding IS, and {
these a considerable proportion wei
nearly, but not quite 100 years old whe
they passed away.
The tables have been turned upc
Sir George Cornwall Lewis and M
Thoms. It is certain that a centu1
I of life can be attained in health ar
vigor. In the same number Of Il
e Times for June 20 last there was r
b corded the death of Mrs. May Parsol
9 of SALISBURY aged l04, and the eel
4 bIation Of her one hundred and fourt
i birthday by Nine. Roland of Seneff
! who witnessed the battle of Waterlo
4 A few days later came the report Of
one hundred and third year. We a.
( justified in holding that, given favorab
conditions and barring accidents, that
the normal duration of mans life, II
goal which we should hold in view ar
at. which, it we guide our footstel
Alright, an ever-increasing number
men and women should arrive.
After discussing various theories
old age and of its prevention, Sir Jam,
Browne referred to DR.. Allchin's SUI
gestion that, by the ions carried I
] a ferment or ferments, the enviro
: ment of living organisms may be DR.
: longed and death averted. y The
could be no objection to such a cues