The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-11-13
Wenkncs'es of Old Ago.
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There are really no active forms Of dis
cas-, TIA! are peculiar to old age. Tho OLE
mal has gradually lcBt the power Of with
standing the always acting force Of tht
car his attraction, and moro ard more
feebly l,sigting this force, at lust lies dowr
to take his lnal sleep.
During the pIog;Css Of this third S!ngl
OF life the bones are becoming moro brit
tie, tho cartilrges hslder, and the mugClet
hving failed in their tcnoion, ell move
mants arc Glow, hesitatlns and more OF
less uncertain. The skin Is lopiDg It's
so'tners, color and elasticity, and falls
into folds and wrinkles. The special
genses fail in their refined FCuteness. The
eye grows dul!er and the transparent
CorneR 10 marked with whito ring, the
ARGUS seniliH, or bow Of old age; while the
once clear pupil Ia filled with hfzy mist.
Taeae changes are all preceded by q re-
ducel supply Of nervous force, and q
weakened memory, tessOn and volition.
Although an old pGisOn is past tho per.
Tod Ct fallirg.a victim to inherited disease,
and has long ago etCaped the fatal cpl.
demicu OF childhood, yet he is less able
to Withstand o mental or physical strain,
aud may DO readily Frustrated by what
would have been In earlier years a
alght attack Of a trivial nature.
Tho majority Of deaths that occur in tho
decline Of life are caused by certain con.
ditionF, chief among which arc failure Of
the heart, separation oi the blood, cougeg.
tione, and failure Of digestion. In natural
death tho heart is tho laat one Of tho
organs to fail in its function. But some
tiues the end 10 huttencd by premature
breaking down Of the engine that Is con.
stantly pumping the vital luid through
the living body. The nelvouB supply to
huch heart 10 iregular, and the muGcu-
lar organ occasionally failing TO receive
the regular message for contrt c!iop, lcsea
a stroke aud out Of every few pulse beats
one can BIO felt 10 drop. This intermit.
tent heart exists in mOst pernons over sew.
enty years OF age, or in thOEe who are
weak from my other CauRe.
Some men q splendid physique who
are apparently robust, have On intermit-
tent heart, and although in them 1t may
DO no Immediate cause OF danger, II
s-ould at least selye as o warning against
Any inditCretion. Bodily fatigue, loss Of
sic p, irregular meOls, an extreme Of heat
OF cold, mental anxiety, q flt Of passion,
grief or Joy, any one OF these causes, &C.
peCially in old ago. may bring an inter.
mittent heart TO u fatal failure.
The blood ia composed Of two parts,
fluid and ilbhn tho hbhn forms a Clot ON
exposure 10 the air. III almost every case
Of death from pure old eye q Clot is formed
In tho heart. A separation Of the blood
causing Clot 10 form in large artery
aud be carried along In tho current Til II
lodges in one Of tho e1ttemilies, conpti.
tuleS another Of the dangers that menace
old age. For 1t impedeS tho circulation Of
the part and the result Ia senilo ganE,een,
or the gradual death Of the affected por.
ton, most commonly finger or too.
In old age there ls a lOtO Of elasticity In
tie RttVrits, and sluRgiah flow in the
smaller vessels coming 10 a stop makes d
congestion. Cold, tho greatest oil all
narcotics, most frequently causes con
RpBllonB, and a sudden TALL Of temperature
ptolonpB the quiet frht Of many an old
person into the sleep Of death.
A lees frequent ending Of old ago Il
brought about by "a failure Of the digestive
power The appetite lOsCS lie wanted
zest, the stomach falls In its work, and
death results from n GLOW starvation, the
mental faculties often remaining clear ID
The very end.
by awiss provision oil nature death gem
orally comes to oil without tho terror thai
iS commonly associated with II, The
child has heard nothing Of lie horrors and
dlss a. II would 20 10 sleep. The