Human life being both the gift of God and a blessing, it is a duty to preserve it as long as possible. No truly good person, however aged, ever yet outlived his or her usefulness. In all enlightened lands old age is considered honorable; the hoary head is a crown of glory.

In preparing the following pages, while avoiding technicalities and Greek and Latin phrases, I have aimed to be practical, rigidly practical, rather than original or elegant; aimed to bring to mind and clearly present the vital importance of air, food, clothing, drink, sunshine and sleep in such varied ways as to inspire the reader with a proper and persistent use of them that the number of years upon earth may be many - even a hundred!

The style is paragraphic and suggestive rather than argumentative. In the preparation I am indebted to Dr. De Lacy, Dr. M. L. Holbrook, Dr. Hall and others.

My only purpose as an author is to instruct and benefit my fellow men. Laws are immutable, and all laws have their reflex action. There is nothing more certain than that in helping and blessing others we are blessed. Therefore if I can pluck a thorn from a mortal's pathway and plant a rose there; if upon the tear-wet cheek I can plant a rainbow of hope; if by tongue or pen or practice I can prevent, or in any way relieve, human suffering, and lighten the burden of sorrow, thus aiding my fellow men to reach a peaceful and happy old age, then am I satisfied.

J. M. Peebles, M. D