John Hill

“ Last let us caution also the aged man who would be happy, and would live longer, to combat with all his power that dangerous enemy covetousness. ’Tis known universally, and we have sacred attestation of it, that too great carefulness brings age before its time; and in age it brings death prematurely. The old are in no danger of extravagance; and the care of heaping up for others, when it shortens their own life, is more than any heir deserves.
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Ease and good humour are the great ingredients of a happy life: and the principal means of a long one. ”

“ We know madness is a disease: and violent passion is a temporary madness. This also arises often from a redundance of humours; and medicines will cure it.
Let the passionate old man consider, that he hurts himself more than any body else, by his anger; and he will then wish to be cured of its tyranny. Let him examine himself, whether it be a disorder of his mind ”

“ An air thus chosen, will then assist in all the great articles of health which age wants; appetite, digestion, and a free circulation.
Exercise will be easy; and it will be always pleasant in such a spot: but let this also be under the regulation of good sense. Nothing is better than walking; but let not the old man do himself more hurt, by a rash and careless indulgence in this point, than it can do him service.
Let him never enjoy the air but when it is in a condition to do him good; nor venture upon the ground but when it is fit for his feet. ”

“ Why should the old man disturb his mind with anger? or what should he dread? death is his great terror; and he is very absurd who brings that on by lesser fears.
Joy, tho’ it be only a greater share of satisfaction, is, in a violent or outrageous degree, as hurtful as the other passions: it hurries the circulation vehemently and irregularly; it exhausts the spirits; and when excessive it has often occasioned sudden death. It is a violence of youth ”

“ Labour ceases absolutely when ’tis over: but the storms of the mind leave a swelling sea, which strength of body alone can calm; and in age this strength is faint.
No disease is more mischievous to weak old persons than a purging: and I have seen this brought on instantly by a fit of passion; or by a fright. Medicines have attempted to relieve the patient in vain. That flux which would have been stop’d, if natural, by a spoonful of chalk julep, or a dose of diascordium, has in this case reduced the person to [Pg 32] a skeleton, and sunk him into the grave in spite of all help. ”

“ But though none will question the superior excellence of a clear country air, yet let not him who has attained to a healthy three-score and ten in London, think of leaving it, as a way to continue his days to a longer period. They say use is second nature. It really becomes nature itself: and bad things, to which an old man has been very long accustomed, are often better than sudden changes. It is well known, that many who have reached an uncommon date of life, have perished [Pg 21] at last by a rash alteration in their food: and ’tis certain the air is scarce of less consequence. ”

“ That the circulation is disordered by passions, we know from the true and certain indication of the pulse. In anger, it is violent and hard; in grief, faint, and slow; terrors make it irregular; and shame impedes its motions.
These are sure notices of a disordered circulation: and old men cannot bear this, even for a time, without damage. The strength of youth restores all to its former state, when the sudden gust is over: but age is weak, and cannot. Philosophy teaches the governing our passions ”

“ A frequent examination will inform us what is the condition of our pulse in health; and all deviations from this shew or threaten sickness.
While an old man feels his pulse regular, finds his digestion good, and with a mind at ease can take his usual exercise freely, he may be certain he is well. We shall tell him how to keep so: and when a fault is seen in time, ’tis easily remedy’d.
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If the pulse beat too quick and high, the diet must be lower; if too slow, and weak, the food must be somewhat richer. This short direction will prevent half the diseases of mankind. ”

“ Without entering into the province of the moralist or preacher, we may affirm here, that the passions demand great regard in preserving the health of old men. The motion of the blood in circulation is greatly affected and altered by them: and the nerves may suffer yet more. The whole frame is disordered by violent passions: and I have often seen diseases; and sometimes immediate death has been the consequence of giving full scope to them.
Nothing in this world is worth the trouble and distress men bring upon themselves by giving way to immoderate passions. Life is the greatest blessing ”

“ All mixtures of food upon the stomach are bad: and there is not a greater error in an old person than to eat of many dishes at one meal. He must not deceive himself by arguing that they all are innocent: for two things of known qualities will often, on mixing, produce a third that is perfectly different from them both: and these are dangerous trials in an aged person’s stomach. ”

“ The breakfast is not very important. Those who eat no supper are too hungry in a morning; and the stomach being loaded with what they take at that time, is the less able to digest a dinner. This is the reason we advice old persons to eat suppers, of a right kind; these take off the too keen edge of the morning’s appetite; and there will remain just so much desire to eat, as will lead them to get a little into the stomach without loading it.
Men may fast away their appetite; and their power of digestion goes with it. The conduct of the appetite regulates the health ”

“ Good humour, and a happy satisfaction of mind, will give the aged many years; and much happiness in them. Discontent and disturbance wear out nature: but the quiet we advice, preserves her in good condition.
Of all passions let the old man avoid a foolish fondness for women. This never will solicit him: for nature knows her own time; and the appetite decays with the power: but [Pg 30] if he will solicit that which he cannot enjoy, he will disturb his constitution more than by any other means whatever: and while he is shortening his life ”

“ Light diet is most proper for aged persons.
Beef and pork should be avoided: for the stomach will rarely be able to digest these, when it is not assisted by good exercise.
Lamb, veal, pig, chickens, rabbets, and fish, are excellent; and out of these, if there were no others, a tolerable management may produce sufficient variety.
No aged person should eat more than one considerable meal of solid food in the day. The stomach will manage a dinner when breakfast and supper have been light: otherwise the load of one meal not being gone off before another is brought in, neither will be digested. ”

“ Let him not suppose, because God has blessed him with long health, he is above the reach of sickness; nor neglect the care which may conquer, in its beginning, a disease that would in the end conquer him. Let him be as ready to acknowledge real disorders; as careful to avoid imaginary.
Health consists in a good digestion of the food; and free circulation of the blood. The appetite, and the condition of the stomach after eating, will shew the first; and the latter may be known best by the pulse. ”

“ That old person’s digestion is always good, who has a sharp but not voracious appetite; and who feels no pain, nor sickness after food. To preserve this, let him be content with somewhat less than he could eat at every meal: to keep the stomach in order, do not overload it.
The best time to feel the pulse is in a morning: a little after getting up; and before breakfast. It should be a rule never to omit this examination. A constant and regular attention to the pulse will shew its slightest variations; and when any such happen, let care be taken of the health. ”

“ Let his breakfast be a yolk of an egg, beaten up with half a pint of asses milk, and a quarter of an ounce of conserve of roses: and his supper veal broth nearly boiled to a jelly.
Every afternoon let him take half a pint of asses milk alone: and while all this is doing, let care be taken that there be no violent evacuations. A purging would be destructive; and morning sweats are very hurtful. Let him therefore rise early: and to complete the cure, let him believe these methods will perform it. An easy mind will do more than food and physic. ”

“ Health consists in the evacuations having all their proper course and quantity: and flannel will diminish one as much as it encreases another.
No disorder is more troublesome to old men than costiveness: and the use of flannel unadvisedly will sometimes occasion this.
A careful attention to health is the only way to preserve it: and many things are excellent when properly used; which may otherwise be destructive.
If the appetite fail; or wind oppress the stomach after meals; then take more air, and exercise; and read or study less. Much study always hurts digestion. ”

“ The weakness and infirmities of age come at different years, in different constitutions: I could at this hour point out a very young man of eighty-seven: and the purlieus of Covent-Garden abound with very old men at seven-and-twenty: but to speak in general terms, it may be said, that the period of Life, for which we are giving rules and regulations, begins about fifty-eight; tho’ the greater Infirmities of age do not advance till several years after. ”

“ Philosophy pretends to this condition; but age gives it truly: Whatever our heirs may think, it is worth preserving; and in that sense I write the present Treatise.
A hundred are cut off by disorders which a regular course of life might prevent; for one who dies of age, or its unavoidable effects: Many fall by accidents; to one who is fairly called away by nature. ”

“ How a person in Years is to know he is in Health.
It is allowed, we know so little of nothing, as of ourselves: it has been said often of the mind; but it is not less true of the body. Fancying we have certain diseases will sometimes bring them upon us: and there is as great danger in forcing ourselves to believe, against our feeling, that we are well; when we have some disorder. ”

“ Old men are least healthy in winter: therefore they should then be most careful. They are colder than the young; and therefore cold more affects them. They will perceive the cold has hurt them, when they find the pulse weaker and slower than usual: and they must recover the new damage, by more warmth of cloathing; and a somewhat richer diet.
If perspiration has been stop’d by the cold, and no other ill effect follow, that will be seen by the urine being paler, and more in quantity than usual. In this case let flannel be put on carefully: this will soon restore the perspiration ”

“ Exercise has thro’ the younger part of life [Pg 10] been very instrumental in preserving health: when we grow old we cannot use so much; and we must therefore be more careful in our food. That will go off well with motion, which will overload when quiet: that will nourish while we walk abroad; which, when we stay at home, breeds fevers.
We must not make a change of diet violently; for all sudden alterations are dangerous. Our strength for exercise will leave us by degrees ”

“ Our whole lesson extends but thus much farther; that the old man love his life so well; and value so little all the accidents which belong to it, that he do not give a vain attention to a part, which may rob him of the whole. ”

“ There is a medium sure between a heavy supper, and emptiness; and that is best. Let the old man eat liquids; and of all liquid diets, those which are partly composed of milk are best for him.
The digestive faculties in an old man are weak; but milk is in a manner ready digested. He wants an easy nourishment; and this affords it; without loading the stomach, or oppressing it during the hours of rest.
Asses milk is most easy of digestion: a pint of that, with a small toast, eaten two hours before bed-time, will be nourishing; and sit easy on the stomach. ”

“ When old persons fall into this declining condition, it generally carries them off: but many may be saved by timely care; to whom no remedies will be of service after a first neglect. While the stomach is able to digest any thing, there is hope of recovery: but when its power is lost, both food and physic are poured down the throat in vain.
When an aged person perceives his flesh wasting, and his strength and spirits failing; let him take good nourishment; and adapt it to the condition of his stomach. ”

“ To those who are too weak for exercise, even the mildest, and in the best weather, the great relief is a flesh-brush; and the effects of this, when used with care and constancy, [Pg 27] are more than can be imagined. We know what we expect from exercise; and in old men, the greatest of its advantages is the assisting circulation. ”

“ He who would extend the period, and encrease the healthy condition of his days by a country air, should begin at an earlier time: when his constitution can better bear the alteration.
In regard to a choice of air, the reason we declare against that which is too bleak is plain; for bleak and cold are always found together. Cold air chills the blood; and in old men we want rather to warm it. This sharp air is natural at the tops of hills: and such situations all old men should avoid. ”

“ A chariot may supply the place of a horse, to such as are more feeble; and for those who are so weak as to find even this too much, there will arise a great deal of good from being driven along in those chairs which are made to run upon gravel walks.
To such as are fond of gardening, nothing affords so happy, or so constant exercise. We do not mean that they should dig, or weed the ground: but to use such employment as will give exercise without labour; and such as no hand will so well perform as that of the master. ”