the story of my heart-第17章

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and　though；　and　could　have　prevented　them。　You　can　prevent　them　in　the
future。　You　do　not　even　try。

It　is　perfectly　certain　that　all　diseases　without　exception　are
preventable；　or；　if　not　so；　that　they　can　be　so　weakened　as　to
do　no　harm。　It　is　perfectly　certain　that　all　accidents　are
preventable；　there　is　not　one　that　does　not　arise　from　folly　or
negligence。　All　accidents　are　crimes。　It　is　perfectly　certain
that　all　human　beings　are　capable　of　physical　happiness。　It　is
absolutely　incontrovertible　that　the　ideal　shape　of　the　human
being　is　attainable　to　the　exclusion　of　deformities。　It　is
incontrovertible　that　there　is　no　necessity　for　any　man　to　die
but　of　old　aoe；　and　that　if　death　cannot　be　prevented　life
can　be　prolonged　far　beyond　the　farthest　now　known。　　It　is　incontrovertible
that　at　the　present　time　no　one　ever　dies　of　old　age。　Not　one　single　person
ever　dies　of　old　age；　or　of　natural　causes；　for　there　is　no　such　thing　as　a
natural　cause　of　death。　They　die　of　disease　or　weakness　which　is　the　result
of　disease　either　in　themselves　or　in　their　ancestors。　No　such　thing　as　old
age　is　known　to　us。　We　do　not　even　know　what　old　age　would　be　like；　because
no　one　ever　lives　to　it。

Our　bodies　are　full　of　unsuspected　flaws；　handed　down　it　may　be
for　thousands　of　years；　and　it　is　of　these　that　we　die；　and　not
of　natural　decay。　Till　these　are　eliminated；　or　as　nearly
eliminated　as　possible；　we　shall　never　even　know　what　true　old
age　is　like；　nor　what　the　true　natural　limit　of　human　life　is。
The　utmost　limit　now　appears　to　be　about　one　hundred　and　five
years；　but　as　each　person　who　has　got　so　far　has　died　of　weaknesses
inherited　through　thousands　of　years；　it　is　impossible　to　say　to　what　number
of　years　he　would　have　reached　in　a　natural　state。　It　seems　more　than
possible　that　true　old　agethe　slow　and　natural　decay　of　the　body　apart
from　inherited
flawwould　be　free　from　very　many；　if　not　all；　of　the　petty
miseries　which　now　render　extreme　age　a　doubtful　blessing。　If
the　limbs　grew　weaker　they　would　not　totter；　if　the　teeth
dropped　it　would　not　be　till　the　last；　if　the　eyes　were　less
strong　they　would　not　be　quite　dim；　nor　would　the　mind　lose　its
memory。

But　now　we　see　eyes　become　dim　and　artifical　aid　needed　in　comparative
youth；　and　teeth　drop　out　in　mere　childhood。
Many　men　and　women　lose　teeth　before　they　are　twenty。　This　simple　fact　is
evidence　enough　of　inherited　weakness　or　flaw。　How　could　a　person　who　had
lost　teeth　before　twenty　be　ever　said　to　die　of　old　age；　though　he　died　at　a
hundred　and　ten？　Death　is　not　a　supernatural　event；　it　is　an　event　of　the
most　materialistic　character；　and　may　certainly　be　postponed；　by　the　united
efforts　of　the　human　race；　to　a　period　far　more　distant　from　the　date　of
birth　than　has　been　the　case　during　the　historic　period。　The　question　has
often　been　debated　in　my　mind　whether　death　is　or　is　not　wholly　preventable；
whether；　if　the　entire　human　race　were　united　in　their　efforts　to　eliminate
causes　of　decay；　death　might　not　also　be　altogether　eliminated。

If　we　consider　ourselves　by　the　analogy　of　animals；　trees；　and
other　living　creatures；　the　reply　is　that；　however　postponed；
in　long　process　of　time　the　tissues　must　wither。　Suppose　an　ideal　man；　free
from　inherited　flaw；　then　though　his　age　might
be　prolonged　to　several　centuries；　in　the　end　the　natural　body
must　wear　out。　That　is　true　so　far。　But　it　so　happens　that　the　analogy　is
not　just；　and　therefore　the　conclusions　it　points　to　are　not　tenable。

Man　is　altogether　different　from　every　other　animal；　every　other　living
creature　known。　He　is　different　in　body。　In　his　purely　natural　statein　his
true　natural　statehe　is　immeasurably　stronger。　No　animal　approaches　to　the
physical　perfection　of　which　a　man　is　capable。　　He　can　weary　the　strongest
horse；　he　can　outrun　the　swiftest　stag；　he　can　bear　extremes　of　heat　and
cold　hunger　and　thirst；　which　would　exterminate　every　known　living　thing。
Merely　in　bodily　strength　he　is　superior　to　all。　The　stories　of　antiquity；
which　were　deemed　fables；　may　be　fables　historically；　but　search　has　shown
that　they　are　not　intrinsically　fables。　　Man　of　flesh　and　blood　is　capable
of　all　that　Ajax；　all　that　Hercules　did。　Feats　in　modern　days　have　surpassed
these；　as　when　Webb　swam　the　Channel；　mythology　contains　nothing　equal　to
that。　　The　difference　does　not　end　here。　Animals　think　to　a　certain　extent；
but　if　their　conceptions　be　ever　so　clever；　not　having　hands　they　cannot
execute　them。

I　myself　maintain　that　the　mind　of　man　is　practically　infinite。
It　can　understand　anything　brought　before　it。　It　has　not　the
power　of　its　own　motion　to　bring　everything　before　it；　but　when
anything　is　brought　it　is　understood。　It　is　like　sitting　in　a
room　with　one　window；　you　cannot　compel　everything　to　pass　the
window；　but　whatever　does　pass　is　seen。　It　is　like　a　magnifying　glass；　which
magnifies　and　explains　everything　brought　into　its　focus。　The　mind　of　man　is
infinite。　Beyond　this；　man　has　a　soul。　I　do　not　use　this　word　in　the　common
sense　which　circumstances　have　given　to　it。　I　use　it　as　the　only　term　to
express　that　inner　consciousness　which　aspires。　　These　brief　reasons　show
that　the　analogy　is　imperfect；　and　that　therefore；　although　an　ideal
animala　horse；　a　dog；　a　lionmust　die；　it　does　not　follow　that　an　ideal
man　must。　He　has　a　body　possessed　of　exceptional　recuperative　powers；　which；
under　proper　conditions；　continually　repairs　itself。　He　has　a　mind　by　which
he　can　select　remedies；　and　select　his　course　and　carefully　restore　the
waste　of　tissue。　He　has　a　soul；　as　yet；　it　seems　to　me；　lying　in　abeyance；
by　the　aid　of　which　he　may　yet　discover　things　now　deemed　supernatural。

Considering　these　things　I　am　obliged　by　facts　and　incontrovert…ible
argument　to　conclude　that　death　is　not　inevitable　to　the　ideal　man。　He　is
shaped　for　a　species　of　physical　immortality。　The　beauty　of　form　of　the
ideal　human　being　indicates　immortalitythe　contour；　the　curve；　the　outline
answer　to　the　idea　of　life。　In　the　course　of　ages　united　effort　long
continued　may　eliminate　those　causes　of　decay　which　have　grown　up　in　ages
past；　and　after　that　has　been　done　advance　farther　and　improve　the　natural
state。　As　a　river　brings　down　suspended　particles　of　sand；　and　depositing
them　at　its　mouth　forms　a　delta　and　a　new　country；　as　the　air　and　the　rain
and　the　heat　of　the　sun　desiccate　the　rocks　and　slowly　wear　down　mountains
into　sand；　so　the　united　action　of　the　human　race；　continued　through
centuries；　may　build　up　the　ideal　man　and　woman。
Each　individual　labouring　in　his　day　through　geological　time　in　front　must
produce　an　effect。　　The　instance　of　Sparta；　where　so　much　was　done　in　a　few
centuries；　is　almost　proof　of　it。

The　truth　is；　we　die　through　our　ancestors；　we　are　murdered　by　our
ancestors。　Their　dead　hands　stretch　forth　from　the　tomb　and　drag　us　down　to
their　mouldering　bones。　We　in　our　turn　are　now　at　this　moment　preparing
death　for　our　unborn　posterity。　This　day　those　that　die　do　not　die　in　the
sense　of　old　age；　they　are　slain。　Nothing　has　been　accumulated　for　our
benefit　in　ages　past。　All　the　labour　and　the　toil　of　so　many　millions
continued　through　such　vistas　of　time；　down　to　those　millions　who　at　this
hour　are　rushing　to　and　fro　in　London；　has
accumulated　nothing　for　us。　Nothing　for　our　good。　The　only　things　that　have
been　stored　up　have　been　for　our　evil　and　destruction；　diseases　and
weaknesses　crossed　and　cultivated　and　rendered　almost　part　and　parcel　of　our
very　bones。　Now　let　us　begin　to　roll　back　the　tide　of　death；　and　to　set　our
faces
steadily　to　a　future　of　life。　It　should　be　the　sacred　and　sworn　duty　of
every　one；　once　at　least　during　lifetime；　to　do　something　in　person　towards
this　end。　It　would　be　a　delight　and　pleasure　to　me　to　do　something　every
day；　were　it　ever　so　minute。　To　reflect　that　another　human　being；　if　at　a
distance　of　ten　thousand　years　from　the　year　1883；　would　enjoy　one　hour's
more　life；　in　the　sense　of　fulness　of　life；　in　consequence　of　anything　I　had
done　in　my　little　span；　would　be　to　me　a　peace　of　soul。

CHAPTER　X

UNITED　effort　through　geological　time　in　front　is　but　the　beginning　of