Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-27
DR.. MAYO TELLS of
GROWING SPAN OF LIFE
Famous Surgeon Says Gain in u.
S. Has Been Amazing Since
Civil War.

II
/ average length Of human life in these
| United States Of America since the civil
war. This striking statement regarding
! American longevity was made bv DR.
/ William J. Mayo Of Kochegter, MINI
! IN his opening address as president oi
/ the American College of Surgeons, which
/ has just concluded it's clinical congress
in this city
He spoke nost of the great menace
! which iB In the way % every man u
/ woman IN this continent who has passed
/ the meridian Of life, and whgt preceded
| his warning was remark kably significant
/ as showing how preventive medicine had
| enabled us 70 fec from many lilo from
/ which it was very difficult for man to
/ escape less than two generations ago
4 Most Of the material herewith gwen was
! taken from two addresses delivered BY
the distinguished surgeon before his
fellow knights Of the Pcalpel
In the work Of the medical profcs-
zion, said DR.. Mayo. lies the begt hope
for the future.
He referred thgn to the increase ~ a
decade and 3 half of years 10 human life
SINCE the close Of the great struggle be-
tween the North and the south
With our present knowledge and
under present conditions" he continued
fifteen years more might be added 20
the life Of man in this country within the
next twenty year. H. is certsin that ten
year, will be added at the unost productive
age from the standpoint 0f industry and
viii greatly aid in maintaining our Dosl-
taon AZ the mozt productive nation.
TO ELIMINATE THE PARARrrE
Dr. Mayo considers this rspecisllv
important Inasmuch az q gt-ongpT de-
nand viii be made III the United States
for the men who can produce and thur
aid in bringing about that efficient pro
duction which makes for successful com-
petition. The existcnce 81 a parasitic
class be regards ~ great source IF eociaI
unrest. Thus It IL that as the years in
crease it viii be required Of all men u aid
IN producing for The common good.
When I WIS boy. " ssid the doctrr
1t was difficult for 4 man ri 40 u find a
new job, and FIR . man of 80 II w1s prlc-
tically imp0esib e Today the older men
are great assets 70 the country n the
prolong1tion of Their lives their skilI and
experience IN their TylTtic7Il1x work count
for rnnch. They IRE les8 in1anmable;
they nave family ties and responsibilities;
they have something n l0se; 20 that they
are less under the influence 81 the violent
aglt2tor IT, as nation, we advance the
time of production for each person ten
years we Can well afford TO shorten hours
Of work and improve living conditions
We shall be 2ble 70 compete with tlc8e
countries u which long hours ami poor
living conditions shorten human Life and
eventually decrease production md n
crease social 1lnrest-
g. - r
at the conclusion Of his address ta..t the
average lie IT man in this country had
been extenied through preventive nea-
sues taken n youth The solution az
the ridile Of life these lays. according to
his view, has much - do with the plens
'Indert@Een for building UP the constit}i-
tI0n Of the child
IS . man advances toward middle llfe
he IS overtaken by diseases of the blood
vessels md the heart and kidneys which
ara often traced 70 the sowing Of Wild
oats-when he was young. The youthful
constitution WIS strong enough st that
time 70 hive rep1lcd these i1roaL.s. bus
1t Two score and ten the resistance IS
broken town md various iasions an
lla.5la 10 assert teeEuseivgs.
Children, Tor the list ffteen or twenty
years, have been warned of the dangers
Of focal infection such IS come from
diseased conditions OF the teeth snd ton
sis. Nsthla thc t,St two CT tnrec ys-.rs,
and especially since the var. the ba6
effects which decaved teeth are likely
70 have upon tle body nave been asDecial-
" guarded agelnss by those VINO conserve
the hesl:h of the younger generation.
\ cry e,ten cSn-re OF iocus Of GlSeS2se
"a ny develop n some remote part Of the
body md yet ra&y be que - decay or
disorder u tae der-.L apparatus Ia the
opinion Cf pbySscIlns close attention 70
.he condition Of The teeth In ea-iy life
n the light Of th.s new knowledze, VII
sdd max gl.1ly u length Of wears IS tais
century advances.
The physician os thc OLD school.
Sith his top hat and double breasted
rock coat continued DR. Mavo. VINO
1ractised rs an individual N I'll branches
# medicine and surgery. hc.s practically
disappeared. He hss given place 10 =
lew type OF physician. who works not
: an individual but IS part Of sn organ
zation in which the State N one way or
mother has become his partner and aids
llm IN his WORK
Civilization and intellectual growth
.epend largely on preventive medicine
/ each person were left 70 develop his
wn resistance and Immunity We might
Xpecr eventually TO reach the condition
f China, where ALI effort is inHlitively
ypended To protect the body against
lsease at the expense OF intellectual
dvancement. The Chinanan, with his
ncient civilization, slowly developed
ldIvldu3l resistance to bad hygienie
onditions. His resistance 20 the com
ION diseases, his acquired immunity 70
lany and his ability to extract nourish-
lenf from Ill suited foods. not his duh
Intellect, have made him a formidable
ompetltoT of the American labOring man
nd have caused his exclusion from the
ountry.
The American Indian was nomadic
lthout knowing why By moving con-
.antiy from place TO place be escaped
le consequences Of his filthy WAYS.
lany of his descendants. living the life
I the white man died from ilth diseases.
he lite OF the Indian WAS 10 direct pro-
orti0n to his hygiene after he adopted
fixed abode
Or Mayo although expressing the be-
ef that eventually the ban on alcohol
Ill be q benefit 70 the human raoe de-
ares that prohibition became possible
this country on account Of the progress
hIch was made IN obtaining pure water
II drinking purposes. A water supply
oe from disease germs had tended 80
rolong the lie of man and even tuaily
lroughout The work Il W.H decrease tha
anand for strong drink
"tt Is arnbahIa ha sT3ptt -fhaf