592 THE MOUNTAIN. 



these, the shorter will be his existence. This is one of the 

 most general of laws. In the same district, therefore, as 

 long as the inhabitants lead a temperate life, as shepherds 

 or hunters, they will attain to old age ; but as soon as they 

 become civilized, and by these means sink into luxury, dissi- 

 pation, and corruption, their duration of life will be short- 

 ened. It is, therefore, not the rich and great, not those who 

 take gold tinctures and wonder-working medicines who be- 

 come old ; but country laborers, farmers, mariners, and such 

 men as, perhaps, never in their lives employed their thoughts 

 on the means which must be used to promote longevity. It 

 is among these people ONLY that the most astonishing in- 

 stances of it are to be found. The most terrible mortality 

 is to be found among West India slaves and hospitals for 

 foundlings," etc.* Final conclusion from experience, con- 

 densed from authorities : moderation in everything, and in 

 a certain mediocrity of condition, climate, health, tempera- 

 ment, constitution, employment, spirits, diet, etc., lies the 

 great secret for becoming old. All extremes shorten life. 

 There are also other elements of longevity : the married 

 state is favorable ; there being not one instance on record 

 of a bachelor having attained to a great age, (although 

 there are so many old bachelors /); labor in youth; avoid- 

 ance of immoderate use of flesh in diet ; cultivation ; life in 

 country and small towns extremely favorable ; in large towns 

 and cities, extremely unfavorable. More women than men 

 become old, but fewer reach the extreme old age of men. 



For many interesting particulars, see tables of Hufeland, 

 Wilson, Dunglison, and others ; see also instances of reno- 

 vation of teeth and hair in extreme old age. The following 



* To which Dunglison replies: "This estimate, (namely, that the 

 proportion of slaves that reach the age of one hundred and upwards, 

 is to that of the free in the ratio of 14-1 to 1-02,) coupled with the 

 unquestionable fact, that the slaves in the principal slaveholding 

 States double their number in something less than twenty-eight 

 years, is a sufficient answer to Hufeland, who, without the possi- 

 bility of having data to guide him, affirms that 'the most terrible 

 mortality reigns among them,'" etc. 



