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Life Lessons From A 100-Year-Old Irish Doctor(1989) – Oldest Practising Doctor In Europe

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I hope you have been enjoying the weekly Irish history posts. Last week was technically the first one. Mel Gibson created quite a stir on Facebook. This week, however, I have something else from the Irish archives.

Enjoy this great interview with Europe’s oldest practising doctors(at the time). 

 

It is an old video from 1989! And at the time, he was Europe’s oldest practising doctor at the age of 100! Wow. Jeremiah Lane was born in 1893. Based in the Cork village of Belgooly.

Being from Cork myself. I regularly drove through the town of Belgooly on my way to Kinsale or Oysterhaven. 

So what can we learn from this short interview?

Oldest practicing doctor in Europe

At 100 years old, he could easily pass for 70.

Well, there was a LOT to take away from this video, but some of the main points were: 

  • It is far healthier to live in the country than it is to live in a city or town.
  • Jeremiah Lane graduated from medical school in 1919 and is the only member of his class to survive. He claims that people used to be healthier since they walked everywhere and ate fewer sweets.
  • According to Doctor Lane, urbanization and modern farming practices have exacerbated today’s health issues.
  • Farmers, he claims, are to fault for depleting natural spring water sources.
  • His fat-free diet is what keeps him going these days. He hasn’t smoked in fifty years. When he was a medical student, he started smoking cigarettes since his anatomy room peers were always smoking.

Did you know? On your 100th birthday in Ireland, you receive a letter and €2,540 from the President as part of the Centenarian Bounty. On each subsequent birthday, you receive a letter and a commemorative coin. ~ Irish fact

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