An address on longevity and the means of attaining it : delivered at the opening meeting of the Manchester Medical Society, October 3, 1906 / by Sir Lauder Brunton.

  • Brunton, Thomas Lauder, Sir, 1844-1916.
Date:
1906
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: An address on longevity and the means of attaining it : delivered at the opening meeting of the Manchester Medical Society, October 3, 1906 / by Sir Lauder Brunton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    AN ADD MEANS OF AND G IT. THE /, ■ DELIVERED AT THE OPENTWGFTSJeETING OF THE MANCHESTER MEDICAL SOCIETY, OCTOBER 3, 1906. (Reprinted from the Lancet, November 17, 1906.) By Sir Lauder Brunton, M.D., F.E.S. Mr. President and Gentlemen,—Long life has at all times been regarded as one of the greatest blessings that a man can possess, and this feeling finds expression in the common acclamation “ Let the King live ” or “ Long live the King.” But long life is only to be desired when the faculties which render it a pleasure to its possessor or pleasing to his relatives and friends are retained in sufficient measure. Although the Prayer-Book contains a petition against sudden death, yet this is only to be regarded as a petition against unprepared-for death, for sudden death, though sad for those who are left behind, is really a great boon to the one who goes. But it does seem a very sad thing to see a man, whatever his age may be, cut down when his powers as yet show no signs of decay and when increasing age has brought with it increasing wisdom and power to direct and to help others. Less than six months ago I saw a gentleman who, despite his 76 years of age, was strong, erect, and to outward appearance healthy in body as well as vigorous in mind. He was a man of great influence in the commercial world, universally respected, his opinion deferred to, and, at the time I saw him, full of schemes as to what he was going to do. I found, however, that the tension in his vessels was so exceedingly high that I not only prescribed vascular dilators to lower the pressure within the vessels, but wrote to warn his medical man of the extremely precarious condition of his patient. In spite of the treatment, however, the fatal issue which I dreaded occurred in less than a week. This (11895) a