Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1912-09-18
Need For Longer Life.

with increase of knowledge the
period of education Of preparation for
life must constantly increase. This
fact creates a need for a longer life,
with the later periods Of life increased
in proportion. The result of such a
prolongation will be not the keeping
alive Of invalids, but the creation Of
a population containing a large num-
Der of vigorous old men. Metchnikoff
says: The old man will no longer be
subject to loss of memory or to intel
lectual weakness. He will be able to
apply his great experience to the most
complicated and most delicate parts
Of social life.'
ut is usually recognized that human
life is abnormally short, but no exact
determination has ever been made of
what constitutes normal lifetime.
Flourens maintains that a mammal
lives five times the length Of it's grow
ing period, which would mean, since
the growing period for man does not
cease until about thirty. normal hui
man lifetime of $50 years.
Old Age Abnormal.
Another method of estimating nor
NAL life is to reckon the length Of nor
NAL life as the time of old age now
sets in, eighty-three years. But clear
~, If Metchnikof is right in thinking
that old age is abnormal, the normal
lifetime must exceed eighty-three.
Many remarkable cases of longevity
are on record, but most cases of re-
puted centenarians are not authenti-
Gated. Drakenburg's record was au-
thentic, and he lived to be 146 Mrs
Wood of Portland, Ore, recently died
at 120. To what extent these excep-
ti0nal cases could be made common
cannot as yet be known"
Value of Increased Activity.
Professor Fisher discusses at length
the factors that contribute to lessen
ing the span Of life and pays particular
attention to the money value of in
creased vitality.
Discussing the general value of in
creased vitality, he says: Money esti-
mates Of waste Of life are necessarily
imperfect and sometimes misleading.
The real wastes can only be expressed
In terms Of human misery. Poverty
and disease are twin evils, and each
plays into the hands of the other.
From each spring vice and crime
Again, whatever diminishes poverty
tends to improve health, and vice
versa.
Conservation of Resources.
1.-THE conservation of our natural re-
sOurces-land, raw materials, forests
and water-will provide the food,
clothing, shelter and other means of
maintaining healthy life, while the
conservation of health likewise tends,
in many ways, to conserve and in
crease wealth. The more vigorous and
long lived the race the better utiliza-
sources. This will be true for two rea-
sons in particular: First, the greater
lnventiveness or resourcefulness of
vigorous minds in vigorous bodies.
Civilization consists chiefly in inven-
ton, and the most progressive nations
are those whose rate of invention is
most rapid. Second, the greater fore
sight and solicitude for the future
AS it is usually the normal healthy
man who provides life insurance for
bis family, so it will be the normal
healthy nation which will take due
care Of it's resources for the benefit
Of the generations yet unborn.
Support Of Health Boards.
Federal, state and municipal
boards Of health should be better ap-
preciated and supported. Their pow
ers of investigation, administration
and disseminating Information should
be enlarged. School hygiene should
be practiced and personal hygiene
more emphasized. The multiplication
of degenerates should be made impos-
Eble."