The Waterbury Democrat., 1936-01-22

Tn the praysr of Moses CPsalm oO) the average age of man was three score and. ten years, only by rea- son of exceptional vitality did some men live to be eighty years of ego. Moses himself was l2O years old when he died. <
 Luigi Cornaro., about the time of age of 1O4 years and wrote . book Columbus, managed to attain the about tho Art Of Living Long. Cor- naro's ideas were mostly sound, as we view the matter today--he coun- selled moderation in eating and temperance in evrything.
 Metchnikoif conceived the theory that the ripe old age which many natives of the Balkans attained was due to their fOndneas for soured or fermented milk. He populariked the practice Of drinking skim milk
 tmilk from which the cream has been refnoved) which is first boiled five minutes, then cooled to body temperature or thereabouts, then sowed with Q culture or starter" of tactic bacilii, of tbe Bulgarian strain and allowed to sour or fermont for Q while-MetchnikoR advised Q pint q day of this beverage, and he be. lieved it would maintain q vigorous growth of tactic haciili in the colon, which is 0 normal and desirable state, for when there is vigorous tactic bacillus fermentation in the colon the field is unsavorable for the activities Of less desirable or possibly harmful germs whose growth and multiplication consti. tutes pltrefactlon. Metchnikoif him. self died from heart disease short Of the scriptural three score and ten years. Later . differnt strain of tactic bacllli, called Acidophilus ba. cill!, was introduced and milk bev. erages containing these Acidophilis bacilli became popular. However, it is probable that plain buttermilk or ordinary sour milk is as efilcacious az any such artificial tactic ba. cillus medium, both as prophy. tactic and as Q remedy, though these natural foods or beverages do not como with all the impressive hooey the wiseacres like.
 still later tho ductloss gland theory of longevity or prolongation of youth or Fejuvenation captured the popular imagination, thanks to the skiiful play given this idea by numerous charlatans. Even can. not attempt to discuss in . para- graph Q subject that fills books. But I can say that the sensational mira- cles promised by yarns in the Sun. day supplements have failed to ma. terialize. Apparently the best that can be expected in any circum. stance from ductless gland treat- ment or operation of any kind is Q temporary stimulation which, after all, iS far short of actual rejuvena. ton. The well advertised eteinach operation tvasectomy), readily done
 under local anestllesia, seems to Do Q comparatively harmless experi- EIlent which does retard the progress of premature senility In many men. And skllfu! application of X-rays, by . physician who is Q master of that field Of practice, does inques- tlonably retard tho progress of pre- mature sanility in many women. And finally, certain hormones, ob- tained from tho internal secfetions of ductiesg glands, are of great value in the relief of certain disturbances incidental to premature decline, but nothing of the sort may Do fairly regarded as the essensn of youth.
 After all. people who live fast should expect to dc young.