THE CURIOSITIES OF LONGEVITY. 
33 
than quality; eat slowly, drinking at the 
close of the meal ; eat of the most palatable 
dish first, and but one kind of meat. Atten- 
tion to diet, air, exercise, mental tranquillity, 
and not medicines, contribute to the preser- 
vation of health and the prolongation of 
life.” 
But our venerable friends themselves tes- 
tify that the diet of old age ought in some 
degree to return to that of the early periods 
of life — such as soups, liquid food, and 
materials of the most digestible character. 
They use but little beef or pork, tea or cof- 
fee, butter or cheese. They commend as- 
paragus, potatoes, mutton, poultry, and fish. 
John Wilson, who lived to be one hun- 
dred and sixteen, for forty years supped 
on roasted turnips. Fontenelle, the distin- 
guished scholar, who died in 1757, aged 
one hundred, used to say every spring, when 
attacked by the fever, If I can only hold 
out until strawberries come in, I shall get 
well.” These old folks suggest wine and 
malt liquors, for the reason that the vital 
powers require an artificial stimulus. The 
aged, are, however, often liable to ludicrous 
fancies, and in their garrulous testimony we 
observe that one attributed rare merit to the 
VoL. XL— 3, 
fact that he had eaten a newly laid egg daily 
for many years ; another ate bread and but- 
ter thickly spread with sugar; some fre- 
quently chewed citron bark, saffron, or 
opium ; and yet others fought off the evil 
day by saturating themselves with tobacco 
or some similar narcotic. Even Lord 
Bacon discussed the merits of anointing 
with ‘‘ that golden oyle, a medicine most 
marvelous to preserve men’s health.” 
But, by all authorities, honey has been 
esteemed the juice of life,” and carries 
far more merit than the fabled fountain 
of youth and beauty, which Ponce de 
Leon sought in vain. Many aged philos- 
ophers, and, among them, Democritus, 
Pythagoras, and Pliny, trace their length 
of days to the use of oil without and 
honey within. Two persons in modem 
times are mentioned as having lived to 
the ages of 108 and 116, who, during the 
last half century of their lives, for their 
breakfast took only a little tea, sweetened 
with honey. 
But where shall men dwell, and be able 
to find the five score years and beyond ? 
What countries are supposed to be most 
favorable to longevity ? This matter 
cannot satisfactorily be determined. Only 
a perfect system of statistics, kept for 
centuries, would disclose the secret. 
Tables have been published, but they 
cannot be verified. Lord Bacon, in his 
“ History of Life and Death,” quotes 
from Pliny the following lively statistics: 
“ The year of our Lord seventy-six is 
memorable; for, in that year there was a 
taxing of the people by Vespasian; from 
which it appears that in the part of Italy 
lying between the Appenines and the River 
Po, there were found fifty-four persons 100 
years old; fifty-seven, no years; two, 120 
years; four, 130 years; four, 135 years; 
and three, 140 years each.” Now leave 
sunny Italy and go to inclement Norway. 
Travelers have there remarked the great 
temperance, industry, and morality of the 
people, and their common food is found 
to be milk, cheese, dried or salt fish, no 
meat, and oat bread baked in cakes. An 
enumeration of the inhabitants of Aggerhus, 
in Norway, in 1763, showed that one hun- 
dred and fifty couples had been married 
over 80 years: consequently the greater 
number were aged 100 or more; seventy 
couples had been married over 90 years, 
which would place their ages at about no; 
twelve couples had been married from 100 
to 105 years, and another couple no years, 
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