anomalies and curiosities of medicine-第86部分

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〃A　census　of　centenarians　has　been　taken　in　France；　and　the　results；　which　have　been　published；　show　that　there　are　now　alive　in　this　country　213　persons　who　are　over　one　hundred　years　old。　Of　these　147　are　women；　the　alleged　stronger　sex　being　thus　only　able　to　show　66　specimens　who　are　managing　to　still　〃husband　out　life's　taper〃　after　the　lapse　of　a　century。　The　preponderance　of　centenarians　of　the　supposed　weaker　sex　has　led　to　the　revival　of　some　amusing　theories　tending　to　explain　this　phenomenon。　One　cause　of　the　longevity　of　women　is　stated　to　be；　for　instance；　their　propensity　to　talk　much　and　to　gossip；　perpetual　prattle　being　highly　conducive；　it　is　said；　to　the　active　circulation　of　the　blood；　while　the　body　remains　unfatigued　and　undamaged。　More　serious　theorists　or　statisticians；　while　commenting　on　the　subject　of　the　relative　longevity　of　the　sexes；　attribute　the　supremacy　of　woman　in　the　matter　to　the　well…known　cause；　namely；　that　in　general　she　leads　a　more　calm　and　unimpassioned　existence　than　a　man；　whose　life　is　so　often　one　of　toil；　trouble；　and　excitement。　Setting　aside　these　theories；　however；　the　census　of　French　centenarians　is　not　devoid　of　interest　in　some　of　its　details。　At　Rocroi　an　old　soldier　who　fought　under　the　First　Napoleon　in　Russia　passed　the　century　limit　last　year。　A　wearer　of　the　St。　Helena　medala　distinction　awarded　to　survivors　of　the　Napoleonic　campaigns；　and　who　lives　at　Grand　Fayt；　also　in　the　Nordis　one　hundred　and　three　years　old；　and　has　been　for　the　last　sixty…eight　years　a　sort　of　rural　policeman　in　his　native　commune。　It　is　a　rather　remarkable　fact　in　connection　with　the　examples　of　longevity　cited　that　in　almost　every　instance　the　centenarian　is　a　person　in　the　humblest　rank　of　life。　According　to　the　compilers　of　these　records；　France　can　claim　the　honor　of　having　possessed　the　oldest　woman　of　modern　times。　This　venerable　dame；　having　attained　one　hundred　and　fifty　years；　died　peacefully　in　a　hamlet　in　the　Haute　Garonne；　where　she　had　spent　her　prolonged　existence；　subsisting　during　the　closing　decade　of　her　life　on　goat's　milk　and　cheese。　The　woman　preserved　all　her　mental　faculties　to　the　last；　but　her　body　became　attenuated　to　an　extraordinary　degree；　and　her　skin　was　like　parchment。〃

In　the　last　ten　years　the　St。　James'　Gazette　has　kept　track　of　378　centenarians；　of　whom　143　were　men　and　235　were　women。　A　writer　to　the　Strand　Magazine　tells　of　14　centenarians　living　in　Great　Britain　within　the　last　half…dozen　years。

It　may　be　interesting　to　review　the　statistics　of　Haller；　who　has　collected　the　greatest　number　of　instances　of　extreme　longevity。　He　found：

　1000　persons　who　lived　from　100　to　110　　　　　　15　persons　who　lived　from　130　to　140　　　　　　60　　　〃　　　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　110　to　120　　　　　　　6　　　〃　　　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　140　to　150　　　　　　29　　　〃　　　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　120　to　130　　　　　　　1　person　　　〃　　　　〃　　　　〃　　　　　　　to　169

Effect　of　Class…Influences；　Occupation；　etc。Unfortunately　for　the　sake　of　authenticity；　all　the　instances　of　extreme　age　in　this　country　have　been　from　persons　in　the　lower　walks　of　life　or　from　obscure　parts　of　the　country；　where　little　else　than　hearsay　could　be　procured　to　verify　them。　It　must　also　be　said　that　it　is　only　among　people　of　this　class　that　we　can　expect　to　find　parallels　of　the　instances　of　extreme　longevity　of　former　times。　The　inhabitants　of　the　higher　stations　of　life；　the　population　of　thickly　settled　communities；　are　living　in　an　age　and　under　conditions　almost　incompatible　with　longevity。　In　fact；　the　strain　of　nervous　energy　made　necessary　by　the　changed　conditions　of　business　and　mode　of　living　really　predisposes　to　premature　decay。

Those　who　object　to　the　reliability　of　reports　of　postcentenarianism　seem　to　lose　sight　of　these　facts；　and　because　absolute　proof　and　parallel　cannot　be　obtained　they　deny　the　possibility　without　giving　the　subject　full　thought　and　reason。　As　tending　to　substantiate　the　multitude　of　instances　are　the　opinions　of　such　authorities　as　Hufeland；　Buffon；　Haller；　and　Flourens。　Walter　Savage　Landor　on　being　told　that　a　man　in　Russia　was　living　at　one　hundred　and　thirty…two　replied　that　he　was　possibly　older；　as　people　when　they　get　on　in　years　are　prone　to　remain　silent　as　to　the　number　of　their　yearsa　statement　that　can　hardly　be　denied。　One　of　the　strongest　disbelievers　in　extreme　age　almost　disproved　in　his　own　life　the　statement　that　there　were　no　centenarians。

It　is　commonly　believed　that　in　the　earliest　periods　of　the　world's　history　the　lives　of　the　inhabitants　were　more　youthful　and　perfect；　that　these　primitive　men　had　gigantic　size；　incredible　strength；　and　most　astonishing　duration　of　life。　It　is　to　this　tendency　that　we　are　indebted　for　the　origin　of　many　romantic　tales。　Some　have　not　hesitated　to　ascribe　to　our　forefather　Adam　the　height　of　900　yards　and　the　age　of　almost　a　thousand　years；　but　according　to　Hufeland　acute　theologians　have　shown　that　the　chronology　of　the　early　ages　was　not　the　same　as　that　used　in　the　present　day。　According　to　this　same　authority　Hensler　has　proved　that　the　year　at　the　time　of　Abraham　consisted　of　but　three　months；　that　it　was　afterward　extended　to　eight；　and　finally　in　the　time　of　Joseph　to　twelve。　Certain　Eastern　nations；　it　is　said；　still　reckon　but　three　months　to　the　year；　this　substantiates　the　opinion　of　Hensler；　and；　as　Hufeland　says；　it　would　be　inexplicable　why　the　life　of　man　should　be　shortened　nearly　one…half　immediately　after　the　flood。

Accepting　these　conclusions　as　correct；　the　highest　recorded　age；　that　of　Methuselah；　nine　hundred　years；　will　be　reduced　to　about　two　hundred；　an　age　that　can　hardly　be　called　impossible　in　the　face　of　such　an　abundance　of　reports；　to　which　some　men　of　comparatively　modern　times　have　approached；　and　which　such　substantial　authorities　as　Buffon；　Hufeland；　and　Flourens　believed　possible。

Alchemy　and　the　〃Elixir　of　Life。〃The　desire　for　long　life　and　the　acquisition　of　wealth　have　indirectly　been　the　stimulus　to　medical　and　physical　investigation；　eventually　evolving　science　as　we　have　it　now。　The　fundamental　principles　of　nearly　every　branch　of　modern　science　were　the　gradual　metamorphoses　of　the　investigations　of　the　old　searchers　after　the　〃philosopher's　stone〃　and　〃elixir　of　life。〃　The　long　hours　of　study　and　experiment　in　the　chase　for　this　will…o'…the…wisp　were　of　vast　benefit　to　the　coming　generations；　and　to　these　deluded　philosophers　of　the　Middle　Ages；　and　even　of　ancient　times；　we　are　doubtless　indebted　for　much　in　this　age　of　advancement。

With　a　credulous　people　to　work　upon；　many　of　the　claimants　of　the　discovery　of　the　coveted　secret　of　eternal　life　must　be　held　as　rank　impostors　claiming　ridiculous　ages　for　themselves。　In　the　twelfth　century　Artephius　claimed　that　by　the　means　of　his　discovery　he　had　attained　one　thousand　and　twenty…five　years。　Shortly　after　him　came　Alan　de　Lisle　of　Flanders　with　a　reputed　fabulous　age。　In　1244　Albertus　Magnus　announced　himself　as　the　discoverer。　In　1655　the　celebrated　Doctor　Dee　appeared　on　the　scene　and　had　victims　by　the　score。　Then　came　the　Rosicrucians。　Count　Saint…Germain　claimed　the　secret　of　the　〃philosopher's　stone〃　and　declared　to　the　Court　of　Louis　XV　that　he　was　two　thousand　years　old；　and　a　precursor　of　the　mythical　〃Wandering　Jew；〃　who　has　been　immortalized　in　prose　and　rhyme　and　in　whose　existence　a　great　mass　of　the　people　recently　believed。　The　last　of　the　charlatans　who　claimed　possession　of　the　secret　of　perpetual　life　was　Joseph　Balsamo；　who　called　himself　〃Count　of　Cagliostro。〃　He　was　born　in　Italy　in　1743　and　acquired　a　world…wide　reputation　for　his　alleged　occult　powers　and　acquisition　of　the　〃philosopher's　stone。〃　He　died　in　1795；　and　since　then　no　one　has　generally　inspired　the　superstitious　with　credence　in　this　well…worn　myth。　The　ill…fated　Ponce　de　Leon　when　he　discovered　Florida；　in　spite　of　his　superior　education；　announced　his　firm　belief　in　the　land　of　the　〃Fountain　of　Perpetual　Youth；〃　in　the　pursuit　of　which　he　had　risked　his　fortune　and　life。

We　wish　to　emphasize　that　we　by　no　means　assume　the　responsibility　of　the　authenticity　of　the　cases　to　be　quoted；　but　expressing　belief　in　their　possibility；　we　shall　mention　some　of　the　extraordinary　instances　of　longevity　derived　from　an　exhaustive　research　of　the　literature　of　all　times。　This　venerable　gallery　of　Nestors　will　include　those　of　all　periods　and　nations；　but　as　the　modern　references　are　more　available　greater　attention　will　be　given　to　them。

Turning　first　to　the　history　of　the　earlier　nations；　we　deduce　from　Jewish　history　that　Abraham　lived　to　one　hundred　and　seventy…five；　Isaac；　likewise　a　tranquil；　peaceful　man；　to　one　hundred　and　eighty；　Jacob；　who　was　crafty　and　cunning；　to　one　hundred　and　forty…seven；　Ishmael；　a　warrior；　to　one　hundred　and　thirty…seven；　and　Joseph；　to　one　hundred　and　ten。　Moses；　a　man　of　extraordinary　vigor；　which；　however；　he　exposed　to　great　cares　and　fatigues；　attained　the　advanced　age　of　one　hundred　and　twenty；　and　the　warlike　and　ever…active　Joshua　lived　to　one　hundred　and　ten。　Lejoucourt　gives　the　following　striking　parallels：　John　Glower　lived　to　one　hundred　and　seventy…　two；　and　Abraham　to　one　hundred　and　seventy…five；　Susan；　the　wife　of　Gower；　lived　to　one　hundred　and　sixty…four；　and　Sarah；　the　wife　of　Abraham；　to　one　hundred　and　twenty…seven。　The　eldest　son　of　the　Gower　couple　was　one　hundred　and　fifteen　when　last　seen；　and　Isaac；　the　son　of　Abraham　and　Sarah；　lived　to　one　hundred　and　eighty。

However　replete　with　fables　may　be　the　history　of　the　Kings　of　Egypt；　none　attained　a　remarkable　age；　and　the　record　of　the　common　people　is　incomplete　or　unavailable。

If　we　judge　from　the　accounts　of　Lucian　we　must　form　a　high　idea　of　the　great　age　of　the　Seres；　or　ancient　Chinese。　Lucian　ascribes　this　longevity　to　their　habit　of　drinking　excessive　quantities　of　water。

Among　the　Greeks　we　find　several　instances　of　great　age　in　men　of　prominence。　Hippocrates　divided　life　into　seven　periods；　living　himself　beyond　the　century　mark。　Aristotle　made　three　divisions；the　growing　period；　the　stationary　period；　and　the　period　of　decline。　Solon　made　ten　divisions　of　life；　and　Varro　made　five。　Ovid　ingeniously　compares　life　to　the　four　seasons。　Epimenides　of　Crete　i