The Art of Invigorating and Prolonging Life

William Kitchiner

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The Art of Invigorating and Prolonging Life by William Kitchiner

Chapter 9 No.9

08-13 18:54

The Art of Invigorating and Prolonging Life Chapter 1 No.1

-Ideas received through the Senses.

-Speaking, and Pronunciation.

-Letters, and Spelling.

-Ideas retained in the Memory.

5 -Reading and Repeating.

-Grammar of his own Language.

-Memory exercised.

-Moral and Religions Lessons.

-Natural History and Experiments.

10 -Dancing, Music, Drawing, Exercises.

-History of his own Country.

-Latin.

-Greek.

-French and Italian.

15 -Translations.

-Compositions in Verse and Prose.

-Rhetoric and Declamation.

-History and Law.

-Logic and Mathematics.

20 -Rhetorical Exercises.

-Philosophy and Politics.

-Compositions in his own Language.

-Declamations continued.

-Ancient Orators studied.

25 -Travel and Conversation.

-Speeches at the Bar, or in Parliament.

-State Affairs.

-Historical Studies continued.

-Law and Eloquence.

30 -Public Life.

-Private and Social Virtues.

-Habits of Eloquence improved.

-Philosophy resumed at leisure.

-Orations published.

35 -Exertions in State and Parliament.

-Civil Knowledge mature.

-Eloquence perfect.

-National Rights defended.

-The Learned protected.

40 -The Virtuous assisted.

-Compositions published.

-Science improved.

-Parliamentary Affairs.

-Laws enacted, and supported.

45 -Fine Arts patronized.

-Government of his Family.

-Education of his Children.

-Vigilance as a Magistrate.

-Firmness as a Patriot.

50 -Virtue as a Citizen.

-Historical Works.

-Oratorical Works.

-Philosophical Works.

-Political Works.

55 -Mathematical Works.

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}Continuation of former Pursuits.

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60 }

-Fruits of his Labour enjoyed.

-A glorious Retirement.

-An amiable Family.

-Universal Respect.

65 -Consciousness of a Virtuous Life.

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}Perfection of Earthly Happiness.

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70 -Preparation for ETERNITY.

The most common cause of Dyspeptic Disorders, which are so prevalent at the commencement of the Third Period of Life-is an increasing indolence, inducing us to diminish the degree of the active Exercise we have been in the habit of taking-without in a corresponding degree diminishing the quantity of our Food-on the contrary, people seem to expect the Stomach to grow stronger and to work harder as it gets Older, and to almost entirely support the Circulation without the help of Exercise.-

As the activity of our existence-and the accommodating powers of the Stomach, &c. diminish-in like degree-must we lessen the quantity-and be careful of the quality of our Food, eat oftener and less at a time-or Indigestion-and the multitude of Disorders of which it is the fruitful parent, will soon destroy us.

The System of Cornaro has been oftener quoted, than understood-most people imagine, it was one of rigid Abstinence and comfortless Self-denial-but this was not the case:-his Code of Longevity consisted in steadily obeying the suggestions of Instinct-and Economizing his Vitality, and living under his income of Health,-carefully regulating his temper-and cultivating cheerful habits.

The following is a Compendium of his plan-in his own words.

He tells us that when Fourscore

"I am used to take in all twelve ounces of solid nourishment, such as Meat, and the yolk of an Egg, &c. and fourteen ounces of drink:-I eat Bread, Soup, New-laid Eggs, Veal, Kid, Mutton, Partridge, Pullets, Pigeons, &c. and some Sea and River Fish.

"I made choice of such Wines and Meats as agreed with my Constitution, and declined all other diet-and proportioned the quantity thereof to the strength of my Stomach, and abridged my Food-as my years increased.

"Every one is the best judge of the food which is most agreeable to his own Stomach,-it is next to impossible, to judge what is best for another;-the Constitutions of men are as different from each other as their complexions."-p. 36.

"1st. Take care of the quality.

"2dly. Of the quantity-so as to eat and drink nothing that offends the Stomach, nor any more than you can easily digest: your experience ought to be your guide in these two principles when you arrive at Forty: by that time you ought to know that you are in the midst of your life; thanks to the goodness of your Constitution which has carried you so far: but that when you are arrived to this period, you go down the hill apace-and it is necessary for you to change your course of life, especially with regard to the quantity and quality of your diet-because it is on that, the health and length of our days do radically depend. Lastly; if the former part of our lives has been altogether sensual-the latter ought to be rational and regular; order being necessary for the preservation of all things, especially the life of man.-Longevity cannot be attained without continence and sobriety18."

"At thirty Man suspects himself a Fool,

Knows it at forty, and reforms his plan."

By the small quantity of Food, and great proportion of his Meat to his Drink, this noble Venetian, at the age of forty, freed himself, by the advice of his Physicians, from several grievous disorders contracted by intemperance, and lived in health of body, and great cheerfulness of mind, to above an hundred.-Briefly, the secret of his Longevity seems to have been, a gradually increasing Temperance "in omnibus"-and probably, after a certain time of Life, abstinence from the "opus magnum."

The source of physical and moral Health, Happiness, and Longevity,-

"Reason's whole pleasure, all the Joys of Sense

Lie in three words, Health, peace, and competence.

But Health consists in temperance alone;

And Peace, oh Virtue! Peace is all thy own."

Pope.

Intensive Life, can only be purchased at the price of Extensive.

If you force the Heart to gallop as fast during the second, as it does during the first stage of life-and make the steady fire of 42, to blaze as brightly as the flame of 21,-it will very soon be burnt out.

Those who cannot be content to submit to that diminution of action ordained by nature, against which there is no appeal,-as it is the absolute covenant, by the most attentive and implicit observance of which we can only hope to hold our lease of life comfortably,-will soon bring to the diminished energy of the Second Stage of Life-the Paralysis of the Third.

From 40 to 60, a witty French author tells us, is "La belle saison19 pour la Gourmandise;"-for the artificial pleasures of the Palate, it may be, and the Bon Vivant cultivates them as the means of prolonging the vigour of Youth-and procrastinating the approach of Age.

Restoration may certainly be considerably facilitated, by preparing and dressing food so as to render it easily soluble-if the secret of Rejuvenization be ever discovered; it will be found in the Kitchen.

Very soon after we pass the Meridian of Life, (which, according to those who train men for athletic exercises, and to Dr. Jameson,20 is our 28th, and to Dr. Cheyne, about our 35th year,) the elasticity of the Animal System imperceptibly diminishes,-our Senses become less susceptible, and are every hour getting the worse for wear, however Self-Love, assisted by your Hair-dresser, and Tailor, &c. may endeavour to persuade you to the contrary.

Digestion and Sleep are less perfect-the restorative process more and more fails to keep pace with the consuming process-the body is insufficiently repaired, more easily deranged, and with more difficulty brought into adjustment again; till at length the vital power being diminished, and the organs deteriorated,-Nourishment can neither be received, or prepared and diffused through the constitution-and Consumption so much exceeds Renovation, that decay rapidly closes the scene of Life.

One may form some Idea of the Self-consumption of the human body, by reflecting that the pulsation of the Heart, and the motion of the Blood connected with it, takes place 100,000 times every day; i. e. on an average

the pulse21 beats 70 times in a minute,

multiplied by 60 minutes in an hour,