Читать книгу Old Age Deferred. The causes of old age and its postponement by hygienic and therapeutic measures онлайн

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If we now consider the environments where the longest-lived persons are found, we shall find that those who always live in the open air, and also moderately, rising early in the morning and leading day by day the same regular life, have attained the longest lives. A great number of long-lived patriarchs can be found among the peasants, or at least among persons living in the country and out in the fresh air all day. Undoubtedly the greatest number of long-lived people are to be found in the British Islands, especially in Scotland. The inhabitants of Great Britain are well known to appreciate fresh air, and on the Continent we often see them, especially Scotchmen, going about without any overcoat even on a cold winter’s day.

We shall see in various chapters of this book how essentially important is a sound hygiene to ensure long life, and we shall demonstrate in separate chapters the great importance of fresh air and of exercise in the open air.

If we would inquire where are to be found the greatest number of persons over 100 years of age, the palm must be given to Bulgaria, if what is claimed be true, viz., that there are 3800 persons over that age, and all these folk partake daily of “jogurth,” a sour milk containing three different microbes, the most efficacious among them being the maeja bacillus. In Germany, with its 61,000,000 of inhabitants, there are but 71 persons over 100 years old, while Bulgaria, with only 7,000,000, claims to have 3800, and that it is due to the jogurth eaten every day. We will deal more fully with jogurth in the chapter on the elimination of toxic products from the intestines.