THE HABITS AND HISTORY OF CENTENARIANS. 625 



6ixty ; one was ten years in an asylum after a confinement ; one had 

 peritonitis ; one bad had fever at twenty-five, also jaundice and small- 

 pox ; one had " bad-stroke " at sixty, for which she was bled, and two 

 less severe strokes at seventy ; one had renal dropsy at eighty-two, 

 lasting for two years ; one had acute bronchitis at ninety-five ; one 

 had paralysis at ninety ; one had severe herdes zoster ; one had rheu- 

 matic fever at seventy ; one had severe bronchitis at eighty-two ; one 

 had paralysis at seven ; four had fever — two of them badly. 



The recoveries from illness at great age are to be noted. We find 

 that one case recovered at eighty-two from renal dropsy, which lasted 

 two years, and at ninety-eight recovered from a large slough on the 

 thigh, caused by a bruise ; another from acute bronchitis at ninety- 

 five, and pneumonia and erysipelas of the head at ninety-nine ; a third 

 from rheumatic fever at seventy ; another from severe bronchitis at 

 eighty-two ; and one from severe fever at eighty-four ; six had suf- 

 fered injury to the hip after the age of ninety ; one broke the neck of 

 the thigh-bone at ninety ; and one at one hundred and one, the latter 

 so far recovering as to go on crutches. 



Most interesting and important of all are the life-habits of these 

 old people, among which activity, out-of-door exercise, and early ris- 

 ing, with moderation in diet and alcohol, stand out in strong relief, 

 and are evidently among the important factors in longevity. At the 

 same time, we perceive that most of them may be regarded as the at- 

 tributes of the well-wearing body, that is to say, they are the result- 

 ants of health, as well as the promoters of it. The healthy, vigorous 

 body can scarcely be otherwise than active in one way or other ; and 

 few things tend to promote health and vigor more than activity — ac- 

 tivity without excitement — an activity which is not forced beyond 

 the measure of good and easy repair — an activity which does not wear 

 the body out. The candle ought to burn briskly, and, as a general 

 rule, at both ends, regarding the head or brain as one, and the limbs 

 or locomotory agents as the other ; but it should not burn too fast ; 

 and it may be that, in some persons, an extra rate at one end is better 

 to be compensated by a lower rate at the other. Some persons, at 

 least, seem to find that severe and continued brain-work is incompati- 

 ble with much leg-work. Into this question, however, I will not enter. 



Upon out-of-door activity, with the refreshing influence of open 

 air, stress should be laid, for it must not be supposed that exercises 

 and athletics indoors, where they are much more exhausting, are a 

 sufficient substitute, especially in the case of young and growing 

 persons. 



Such activity causes a brisk trade in the nutritive market ; and the 

 demand is pretty sure to be met by the supply, when food can be ob- 

 tained. The moderation or spareness in diet, notably in the past habits 

 of our centenarians, limiting the supply, prevents a wasteful overflood- 

 ing of the market, and compels an economical and good employment 



VOL. XXX. — 40 



