Human Physiology. 9 



living more than a century, and there are several modern 

 instances of persons living from one hundred and twenty 

 to one hundred and forty years. The obituary column in the 

 Times newspaper nearly every day gives numerous cases of 

 persons living from eighty to one hundred years. Men not 

 unfrequently marry and have families when past seventy, and 

 men of eighty, and even of ninety, have led armies, governed 

 kingdoms, and filled the highest offices of state. A man who 

 is well born, and who lives well, should live long. With a 

 healthy constitution inherited from a pure and vigorous ances- 

 try, with proper habits and employments; breathing pure air, 

 eating pure food, drinking pure water, avoiding all diseasing 

 influences and conditions, what is to hinder any one from 

 enjoying the blessing of length of days, the ripening of wisdom, 

 the full use and benefit of this earthly life? 



When we look at the human body, with its powers of 

 nutrition and reparation, we cannot see why its life should ever 

 come to an end. But all nature shows us that the bodily life 

 is a limited quantity, and cannot last for ever. It is the law 

 that all earthly forms of existence should cease ; but it is no 

 less an evident intention of nature that all should live out 

 their proper term of existence. 



It will be seen, however, that men are at war with nature, 

 with each other, and with themselves; and in this triple war- 

 fare they are destroyed with a great slaughter. They war with 

 nature in poisoning the air they breathe, the water they drink, 

 and the food with which they are nourished ; by living in the 

 indulgence of exhausting passions and vices, and engaging in 

 unhealthy and destructive occupations. They war with each 

 other by competition, lying, cheating, corruption, seduction, 

 robbery, oppression, slavery. Men are robbed of the soil 

 which is their common birthright; of the stored up treasures of 

 coal, iron, tin, copper, silver, and gold, which are the property 

 of all; and in all our towns are robbed of needful space, fresh 



