New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-09-04
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
BETTER THAN THE ELIXIR.

liVi BSSofiNE IN ANIMAL ORGANISMS. BY {; "a A.
stephens. 12mo, PIP lo'' lho LeO'' w.
NORWAY Lake, Maine :,
"a s.otea in a prefatory note that this small
,oh,ms is n resume of an extended investigation
,..o tho causes of old age and organic deaun.
r, !. furthermore designed as an Introduction 10
number Of handbool1 treating of the revitahzauoh
NJ the human organism" The ultimate coh'enuoh
AZ tho author is that the lie OF man may ny
careful research and the proper uulHauoh VI
Astrological laws and discoveries, be prolonged
almost, indefinitely. Chimerical as the proposltioh
anncars when thus boldly stated, IL woulo oo
unfair 70 the ingenuity and learning OF inc
autbor no let il be supposed that he proceeds alr
the fashion Of an smpiric. On the contrary MS
arcnmept throughout is strictly in keeping WIN
the most advanced physiology, histology ana cnen-
ic.l ANALYSIS. and il may be freely Admitted 'h"o
he succeeds in making out so plausible a case %
.annot hpt hold the interest and fascinate the
IMAGINATION OF his most sceptical readers. lne
hook itseh is so closely compscted that any AT
-. .. ,en,csent its contents in outline with any
annroach to faithfulness must be useless put IL
nov no worth while to indicate few Salient
f.a,ures Of the argument if only to show that u
y we'll worth reading, whatever It's scien'h0
value may be.
qhs unity of living matter is the authors
D,;oarv nosition and here he is unquesuonaply Oh
solid around In adopting, however, the 'neory
~ termination to account for the passing over Vi
characteristic traits ETC., he occupies DUBIOUS
attitude. 1t is scarcely too much TO say VilaV
this theory has been rejected by the gre@VesO
embryolocists and evolutionists, mainly as PRESENT.
ing 60 many difficulties and complications tlaV l'S
accordance demands too many quesuohaoie "9
snmntions The theory of termination however,
is not indispensable to Mr.. Stephenss prime con-
tention. which is that biogen TOR living matter
ls n eonstant-that is to say, that under all cir'
cumstances and conditions its QUALITIES ana po'
tenrialtjes continue the same. The ILLUSTRATIONS
in snpport of this are ingenious and TO the poiiV
The corolaries are important blogeh OvIrs
shown 10 be a constant, it would follow, as NJ.
Stenhens maintains, that old age ana dealh 90 n''
result from any loss Of virtue IN living ha''oi'
Rut IL this is the case another consequence ehsueS
uar,o1v that the decline of life is caused by
nnrelv physical and physiological agencies winch
nav be-which in some instances already are-coh-
trouab1e and capable OF modification reheI VI
removal 49,. A..
A long quotation will, perhaps, illustrate UNI
argument: The popular hypothesis OIL me-
death and old age rests on the assumption Vl"O
re- ora,tativeiy diminished in aging organisms;
m other WOrOS Iilib NilS'li'J' ~ '"
rroooss slaclycus from variability of its originating
foreo and hence that death comes to a person
from this decline Of the initial vital power III
Tho organism But if our argument be logical ana
,nr conclusion correctfhe truth is that lie is never
,u,bta+ivcly, but only quantitatvely, diminished,
up in other words. that vitality as a physicaI
nv, &C never slackers from any variability OF
ts orip5natine force that force being the univer-
sol s,ntjence Of matter and as constant as
,-,vitotion and the weight of the earth; anu
6nfco Tint death Genes TO q person, not rom "
decline of this initial power itself but from those
,vtrirsic obstacles which befall from the material
,-,oprnent and from imperfect modes OF living
oIl az according 10 this theory, is often largely
a sleU sta Walton Of tho living mGtter IN the
o,.rispn The accumulation Of formed mat
re-, 50 hens in the biogcn that it can no longer
CROW. The tissues. not acting vigorously, retain
waste matters and so block up the areas Ill which
the living matter seeks TO expand and renew IT.
self If these obstacles could be removed, there
is no reason why the biogcn should not NAM
tain the life of the organism indefinitely; and Dlr
Stenbens holds that it is within the scope oil
science 10 apply this remedy. Certainly all who
lave not taken ths advice of Schopcnhauer and
ranounced the " will to live" must hope that Mr.
Stepl.a1s will be able to solve the knOtty prob
lens which he has attacked with so much courage
and acumen.