The herald., 1893-10-01
LIME sTIFFzNs THE JOINTS.

LIN e - IL EN- - aE JO1N Ss
The Accumulation of Mineral in the
System Causes Men TO Grow Old.
DIR. O. w. De Lacy Evens, surgeon to
st. Savior's hospital, London, has at
tackled the question OF old age from
new point of vantage. He takes up the
fact recognized by others that in old
youth in actions, sensibility, function
and composition. The active, fluid,
sensitive and elastic body of youth
gradually gives place to induration,
ossifcation, rigidity and decrepitude.
which terminates in natural death.
The most marked feature in old age is
that fbrous, gelatinous, and earthly
deposit has taken place in the system,
the latter being chiefly composed OF
phosphate and carbonate of lime, with
small quantities of sulphate of lime,
magnesia. and traces of other earths.
The amount of earthly compounds in
the bones, which averages two-thirds OF
the whole at the prime OF life. gradually
increases from birth to old age. As a
part OF the same process gradually ossifi-
cation goes on in the joints which con-
meet the bones, in the muscular and
tendonous tissues that move them and
fill up the arteries and veins through
which the blood crculates in the animal
system. The most important change
OF all is in the blood vessels supplying
the brain. In old age the arteries be-
come thickened and lessened in caliber
from fibrinous, gleatinous annd earthly
danncifu This n aQGIlU datpatad
in the larger vessels, and may be eeen
with the naked eye in the arteries in ad-
vanced life, but all OF them, even to
minute subdivisions, undergo the
same gradual change. The smaller ar
teries become at last more or less COM
pletely converted into smooth, bony
tubes. and the capillaries are equally
subject to degeneration. Hence the
supply of blood to the brain becomes less
and less and it's functions are impaired,
giving place to loss of memory, con-
fusion of ideas, inability to follow long
current of thought, oblivion of the pact,
careleseness of the momentary impress
ions, eofteniDg OF the brain, and the
imbecility which is characteristic OF ex-
treme age. With this the energies of
the ganglial system decline, digestion,
circulation. and the secretory functions
are lessened; the ganglia diminish in
size, become firmer, and of a deeper
hue. Hence diminution of the intel
lectual powers and lessened activity and
strength in the organs OF locomotion.
The accompanying tendencies to diff
ferent kinds OF disease will be under
stood easily by those who have a fair
knowledge of human physiology.
This gradual process OF ossifcation is
not due to any inhammstory action.
The limy matter is deposited from the
blood. During life the body is contin-
ually changing. 1t wastes by the action
| of oxygen and is renewed by food. The
arteries distribut oxygen universally as
| a cause of the waste, while the veins eb-
sorb nitrogen, carbon, ETC.. as the pro-
ducts of the waste, thus giving rise to
the union of oxygen with carbon and TO
the expiration OF carbonic acid gas. Ex-
periments and analysis warrant the in
ference that fbrine is an oxide of albu-
men and that gelatine is an oxide OF
6brine. The large quantities of gela-
tine existing in old age must be due to
the action of atmospheric oxygen on f.
brine deposited from the blood. A por-
ton of this substance is decomposed as
the waste OF tissues, resolved into the
| VI hnIuOnlh anu NlCd, auO
eliminated from the system. But at
the same time the gradual process OF
accumulation is going on. 1t is a battle
between accumulation and removal.
The former is the victor and gains the
upper hand, hence the accumulation is
greater than the elimination. thus the
fibrinous and gelatinous accumulations
found in old age are caused by the ac-
ton OF that everlasting, active, accord
ing, and destroying element, atmos-
pheric oxygen. The earthly salts, main
| ly lime, would seem to be the results OF
direct precipitation. They may be con-
ceiveG of as left behind in the body by
the process of tranpiration, in much the
same way, that mineral constituents of
water are left as reeiduum after dis
tillation.
1t is ascertained by analysis that the
compounds of lime, magnesia and iron
constitute about one part in five hum
dred of the human blood. But the
blood is built up from the chyle, and
that again from the chyme, which is
the product of the action of the stomach
and its secretions on food. The same
material Oime. magnesia and iron) ia
found in the stomach and must have
been contained in the food or drink, or
both, and such is found to be the fact.
Hence the earthly salts which block up
the arteries and make the bones brittle
in old age are contained in the food, and
"we eat to i've and eat to die." DR..
Evans asks if it be not possible to 30
select or food and drink as at least to re-
tard the deposition of earthly salts in
the system and thus delay the arrival OF
old age, if we cannot stave it off alto
gether.
Asace and Lorraine are to disappear