Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-02-23

| hlS huLlule spirit, anu awarded hin
the custody of his two sisters, in or
der that he could have his wish tc
keep the family together"
| -
1t Is a wise man that can tell by
looking at frog how far it can jump
and 1t requires just as much wisdom
to tell by looking at a man how long
he will live. Yet appearance 90 for
something, and the Medical Record
has published an interesting article on
the signs Of longevity. According to
this article a man may reasonably ex-
pect long life when he has large
brain, a large heart, large lungs and
large digestive organs-that is, large
for the size Of his body. The large
brain is indicated by the head tower
ing above the openings of the ears
and the large lungs by large nostrils.
Large organs generally are indicated
by long and thick trunk as compared
"Iu tne legs, by large facial features
and by heavy hand with short fin
gers. Hazel eyes are said to be favor
able also. The Record devotes less
attention than 1t should to the fact
that precocity is unfavorabe to long
evlty. In the vegetable kingdom the
plants which mature the most slowly
i've the longest and the same holds
good in the animal kingdom, including
man. The same principle applies to
the different sexes of the same species,
women, for instance. maturing at an
earlier age than men. 1t Is natural
TO expect the same rule to govern long
evity in the individual, and according
~ experience shows that men and
women who mature slowly are ant TO
llye long and those who mature at an
early age to die at an early age also
Men like Lord Macaulay and John
flske, who were good Greek scholars
at the age of 6 years, do not often
reach three-score years and ten. On
the other hand, many school children
who are incorrigible ounces and are
blamed or whipped for being back
marked for long lives but destined to
intellectual greatness also, because
they are maturing slowly. The truth
of all this may be freely admitted and
yet 1t leaves us just as far as ever
from being able to predict long life
or short life for,any individual. Even
the strongest man is liable to be car
ried off by violence, by contagious dis
ease, by a rigorous climate, by hard
ship or by insufficient nourishment,
and even the weakest man may live
to great age in consequence Of favor
able conditions. ParadoXical as it may
seem, some strong men die young in
consequence Of their strength and some
weak men live to old age in conse-
quence of their weakness. Nothing
Is better known that that in many
cases the man of an iron constitution
gets the idea that he can stand any
thing and consequently proceeds to
task his powers or indulge his appe-
tites in manner that breaks him
down before he has lived one-half as
long as he might. On the other hand,
everybody has met with men who have
lived for so or more years without ever
seeing one well day. The explanation
is that they were endowed or afflicted
with remarkably sensitive organiza-
ton, which made every departure
from absolute prudence so painful that
their prudent living more than offset
the large organs and splendid vitality
of some other men. A single weak or
gan may have the same effect as SEN
sitive temperament If, for instance,
a man has weak heart, but Is strong
in other respects, and If he is naturally
careful of himself and determined to
preserve his health the efforts he
makes to avoid injuring his hearts ac-
ton may be the means of preserving
him to old age. For these reasons the
large organs referred to by the Medi-
cal Record are not a promise of long
| life unless coupled with other favOra-
BILE conditions and with a prudent and
temperate turn of mind. A strong man
without prudence has not near so good
chance for longevity as weak and
suffering man with whom prudence is
daily necessity. After all our phil
osophizlngs we find ourselves at the
complete disposal Of the infinite God
who called us into being and has des-
tined us to live until he chooses to
take our breath, and that is just as it
should be.