OCR Text |
Show LONGEVITY, In the Dietetic and Hygienic Gazette, Ga-zette, February, 1912, Dr. A. H. Stewart Ste-wart discourses concerning the personal per-sonal factors in longevity. To live long one must be born well, which means that, as a rule, In order to live long one must have had long-lived ancestors. Insurance- companies recognize rec-ognize this fact One factor In longe vltj' Is believed to bo the ago of one's parents at the timo of one's birth Children born of parents who are between be-tween twonty and forty years of ago aro thought to possess the greatest ltallty. This appears to apply especially espec-ially to the age of the fathers Children Chil-dren born of mothers who are between twenty nnd thirty-five appear to havo the greatest chance of survival, while children born of mothers who aro uu-dor uu-dor twenty or past thirty-live or of fathers who are more than fonj, possess pos-sess less vitality. The second," third, fourth and fifth children aie believed to have a better chance of survival than the first born or those born after the fifth But the latest data seem . . . m to prove that the age of paronts, especially es-pecially that of themothoratthetlme of birth, has the most Important bear. - lng on the attainment of old nge j Large families tend to longevity, since the Indications are that the paronts par-onts possess special physical vigor. , Bulgaria,, Roumania and Servla have the most centenarians In the order namod. Negroes In Africa are abort J lived, but when transplanted to Amer- j lea furnish a large proportion of our i centenarians. A tempernto climate Is i universally recognized as more fa- ; ' vcrablo to" vltzlity and longevity than either an extremely hot or extromely ' -cold climate. The chief factors In ' longevity resting with the individual ' J are an Inherent strong, enduring con- stltution, out-of-door occupations ', without undue oxortlon or exposure; simple but nutritious diet, temper- ato in all things and a cheerful, hope. i ; ful disposition It must bo said that the cheerful, hopeful disposition does ' not rest altogether with the Individual ! as it Is largely a question of tempera- . ment and the state of the liver; but r even with these drawbacks cheerful- J ness may be cultivated until it be- jjl comes a habit. |