Do You Want To Live Forever?

In 1899 the book Vitalogy was first published as a guide for those who wanted to live long, healthy, and happy lives.  By following the prescriptions in this encyclopedia of health and home one might live for hundreds of years.  That's right; hundreds of years.  Unfortunately none of the authors or the followers of this sound program made it this far, that we know of, a mere 116 years later, much less the 300-900 years of life dangled in front of the reader.  Overall the program is enamored of drinking lots of water, exercise, eating right (Food Choices, Speed, and Chewing Properly) , abstinence (Liquor, Tobacco, Sex) , moderation, avoiding toxins, and marrying well.  Sounds just like the same self-help that is packaged and sold by the millions today.   It also contains several aspects that have fallen out of favor, such as an emphasis on sun bathing or having spouses sleep apart so they are not tempted to indulge in physical congress.  Pregnant women are put on a regimen of exercise, reading the best literature, and surrounding herself with beautiful objects less she give birth to a hideous moron.  The book contain all kinds of remedies for rashes, dry skin, pimples, baldness, body odor and other common complaints.  The recommendation is for straw or hair mattresses.

Here is an example, and I do not recommend you try it.

 "Pimples- For eruption of pimples on the face spread vaseline over the pimply part and then pat on as much sulphur as will stick, and let it remain for some hours."

That seems more like a good recipe for a chigger bite on the leg rather than a pimple on one's cheek.

The Virology program certainly contains no path to living for hundreds of years.  I am sure that if one followed it, a normal life span would seem to last for centuries.