LIVING BEYOND THE CENTURY

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22343, 5 March 1938, Page 21

LIVING BEYOND THE CENTURY

AVERY large proportion of the reports about centenarians come from Southern Serbia, Bulgaria, and Northern Greece, states a Hungarian writer. In Jugoslavia official reports state that more than 1000 people are above the 100 mark. Altogether it is estimated that there are 4000 people in the Balkans aged 100 or more. In spite of their Biblical age, many of these Methuselahs are energetic and healthy, fully in control of their faculties and walk about like youngsters of 50 or 60. They do their daily work as they have done for the last 60 years, and appear to be in the prime of life. Why there should be so many centenarians in Balkan countries is a question that has worried scientists for many years. A Czechoslovak scientist examined 100 persons, each aged 100 years or more. He frankly admitted that he could not find the secret of long life. Nevertheless, his observations are interesting. To begin with, the main nourishment of the Methuselahs is yoghurt and such vegetables as peas and beans. Beans, of course, constitute a national dish in that part of Europe. Most of the centenarians had very seldom seen any meat. Otherwise they eat normally. Some smoked heavily, others did

The Balkans Specialise in Methuselahs

not. But smoking is popular, since the Balkan peasant grows his own tobacco and consumes all he cannot sell. Even children smoke frequently. Some liked wines and spirits. Others were teetotallers. Quite a few were certainly no saints. One advantage, however, which all enjoyed, was the fact that they live in the country. The rush of modern life was unknown to them. Many had never seen a town, been on a railway journey, or used a telephone. All were .married men and Lad large and happy families. Bachtian Kozan, a youngster of 130 living in Veliki Ribar, has probably beaten all records. He still works in the fields, and walks without fatigue three or four hours every day. He looks fairly strong, never wears spectacles, has never been ill, and claims that he has never had any trouble with his teeth.. He married twice, and his eldest son died at 105. Bachtian's youngest son is 87. The old man has not enough room in his house to entertain his 312 children, their families, his grandchildren, great-grand-children, and great-great-grandchild-ren. The whole family are hearty wine drinkers, and none of them has ever been in a town. These facts seem to answer the question of how to become a Methuselah.