, 1861-03-08
Gid Arc-.Its Physical and Mental IF
fects:e-Ita EufQYmcnts and Sorrows.

|
feets.-Its Ento5mcnts and sorrows.
Harriet Martincau contributes an article to
Once A Hcek on the topic of cid age. Her
manner Of treating 1t is rather that Of the
anatemist than Of the painter; but the facts
and reflections contained in the article have
their interest both for old and young. Wo
make 6cmc extracts:
people, now aud then, how very little we con-
slider what the thing really is that that we talk
about 10 often, and with SO much feeling.
The poets, the moralists, persons Of strong
domestic affections, and dramatic delineafor5
Of the last stage Of human existence; SO that,
as far as descriptions Of the condition, and
every possible pathetic presentment Of it can
go, it would be scarcely possible to add to our
wealth Of literary portraiture. But none OF
these modes of treatment show rs what old
age is; and, till We know thif, our way OF re-
gardiug and treating this condition must be
mere gness-Work.
One who has philosophers right to speak
{Augustc Compte) upon the subject, says;
t'Thc general theory Of design is certainly in
a very backward state, since the ablest physl-
ological res earches On this subject have usually
related to violent or Incidental death" lie
adds that even 80 far the investigation has
been anything but thorough; whereas We do
but halt our business if VIC study the growth
and development Of the frame, and neglect
the process Of its decline. One glimpse has
been obtained, the psychologists tell Us and
only one, as far rs the organic life Of the frame
is concerned and that is that the turning
uolnt between maturity and decline is the mo-
ment when the balance changes between the
functions Of composition and decomposition;
or, in other words, when the frame begins to
give out more than it receives.
During the first years Of life, the hulds
abound over the solids, and the elements which
20 to expand tie frame are received and "p-
propriated very plentifuuy, while much
Smaller amount is exhaled. The stage OF ma
turity is that In which the balance is equal;
and this period is supposed to include, at IT. the
outside, twenty years Of human life Then
bccins the process of dying, IS the philoso-
| piers Ear; or as less learned persons express
II, VIC turn our faces towards old age; or, ac-
! cording to the common figure Of speech, we
| begin to 20 down the bill: The age Of forty
| itself consists simply in the exhalat1on OF
particles beginning TO exceed the reception of
| them the waste becoming greater than the
| uu1rition-nutrition meaning not only the
! operation Of the food swallowed, but that OF
| tie gasses breathed. and the appliances Of
| every sort which are administered through the
| essant action Of the frame, and Of the ma
| terials which surround it. The necessary con-
| sequence is a gradual drying up-extremely
gradual, in the case Of vigorous frames
lnccesant; till the consolidation becomes too
great TO admit o' vital action. To go through
il1is process without disturbance from disease,
is to die ct old age. This is, we are toll,
about all that is known about the decline and
death Of organized bodies. It is enough to
guide US in observing thefacts and appearance
Of old age.
It is clear that there has been no noticeable
change in the method Of human life between
The Paalmi6t's time and cur own. No doubt
there has been Of late years considerable
dimjnution of mortality in proportion to num-
bers, which is the same thing as it's proportion
to time, as all die OF Inst but this is owing to
the Increased power VIC have over disease, and
not to ANYTHING We can do in arresting the
process Of decline Thousands Of men and
women who would have died young Of small
| box. q century ago, may now live as long al
the nuiyeIeal law 81 the human frame allows
but We have no power over the operation O.
| that law. =.
aces-have longed for it, hare striyen for it
q have not seldom fancicd TINT they hat
obtained il. Among the Oldest and comon
st stories in every nation and every ltera
turc, are those which tell OF some medicine
for the renewal Of youth discovered by
philosopher, and handed down from one per
son tired Of living to another-always as
| secret. and always O burdensome one. Th
rent chemist who used to imagine the hat
) discovered the elixir Of life, were not sucl
,, ;ools as they nre commonly considered. They
! Is we'll as the astrologer, and the go1d'seeh
crs. had IN idea, and q not absurd idea, ut th
core of their enterprise. Modern scienc
= shows us where they we're wrong; but we ar
lust like them in the interest We al feel in tn
subject, differing from them chiefly in bein
aware that therA Is no known way OF resistin
the law Of natural decline. =.
How long is that stage Of decline. speakin
: accurately? It is so long that giddy reader
! nav luugh at the mention Of it, To be tent
;ng towards death from flyeand-forty seem
70 lAct, ridiculous. So it would be as ma
. | ter of sentiment, among people who thin
S ahcu. death in such an exaggerated way as w
u a? tnis ace d. But am here speaking Of tt
-atnral fats which bear upon the condftio
IF old arc; and that is my concern with fort
nvc. III rough way, the philosophical di
= lribution Of our life is set down as includir
iveand-forty years Of growth, hveand-tweni
: Of deel no, and twenty Of maturity betwet
3 them. This makes up the threescore yea
, md len which the Psalnfst speaks Of as Il
natural duration Of human life. He sd
G that if By reson Of strength, we reach fou
st. score ycs1s, yet is that strength but labor .,
10 10 sorrow, and soon cut on.
= "Labor and sorrow" Are these the chnr:
g. teristics Of old age? should say the wor
give a singulariy precise description Of II
= stare Of human experience. I do not me
= that it is complete; for there are ant1dot
comforts and pleasures appropriate to the ca
but the liabilities Of the condition are P
/ cisely tabor and sorroW."
~ It Is rarely understood BY persons who ha
;hefull use Of their animal powers, that
wort evil Of the absence of my Of them
q not the pain Of 1'riyntion, (bad as. that is
~ the laborlouRness thus occasioned in the
Of living. do not know that have ever
with any person who had thought Of t
truth without being told; and certainly
81 ,erscn has ever first mentioned the fact to l
Yet there can be no doubt about 1t. 4 ~
. tayored' person, as the ancient expression
"a person endowed with health and com
ness, and with the keen senses which belt
. to thorough health, has very easy life Of
III whatever tricks fortune may play him in
card to Lis surroundings. Impressions T
Il ,lpon him incessunt1y, setting mind
hods to work In q natural way, exercising
Is. | entertaining his facnltiee, and rendering G
aud plain what be has to do. Qne with
blind c;es or dull ears, has much harder IT
to do in the mero act Of living :on from
4 to day: and the blind or the deaf, have q
oaf- so la6orious that 1t would aatonish their ne
M bors to become aware Of Instead OF II
at1d, cnces Of sight and sound flowing in upon th
rom ,s1e and working within them, they have eithc
the : 10 without that inestimahle benefit and ait
y Of ia seek it with pains and toll. They hay
Faan.. make express and 1aborious effort, from
rur- 10 hour Of every day, where others stmpl.
so s1a c4ive as free gilt the means OF thought,,
nc Il ;pr and action. could say much more al
ills. but my business here is With 30 muc
tne t.s fruth as is involved in the experienc
fuca. nd are. The s'labor" is of this descript
IN The asorrow" arises from the trials OF tht
feetire nature, chiefly, with considerable {
lions from other sources. :
I remember the way in which, when
j roune. m elderly friend Of mine reasoned
and lanehed ut himself about this matte
thc 1aboriousness Of advancing age A hi
nctiye mind and habits, he felt the stifenil
Ills Joints. the twipges Of rheumatism, an'
rnnflict between mind and body about mo
5A hither and tbithcr, which were growing l
- Nm He told me he lad found himself,
irr long faces at having to mount his
- s16uiv1 and leave off runnlng, and giy
I'll, wa;tinr m sisters and daughter, like the =
fellows, Living awake with rheamatisr
mo, a c1eenIessEess Was worse, but he hai
= 1nembercd that he had been glad to live
N 1onC rather than die earlier, md that 1t VI
/ y snrd to quarrel with the conditions 4
cenfei ti1e "labor," or ns we commonl
III #, The burden Of years, as a1ot which he
A4 have chosen If d choice had been offered
r. INV long he won1d live His merry lac
1hilosophical temper impressed me st1n
fhoueh the incident may look very sma1
49, comnonplace to others. -
The failure Of the senses is q Jar e.
matter than that Of the limbs, involving
1ahor os well as more priyation. 70
VERSIONS suffering under the loss Of
fhere ia something frightful, ns well as pa
MI IN The process. The sense Of exclusion
2$ the siphts or sounds {whichever it may 3
~ noture and society is terribly painful; b1
worse Ia the converse sense Of tmpr1sonm
- of heiue secluded from the life OF other
and more and more helpieesy.