The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1898-07-20
WHEN Oil. AGE COMES
IT DEPENDS NOT UPON YEARS, BUT
UPON VITAL FORCE.

W
Age Should Eat Sparirgly and Drink
More Freely.
Some Den are 20 years younger phys
ically and mentally than others are at
the same age. 1t is self evident that old
age does not begin at any set time, SO
far as the divisions of time divide the
periods of life, but that it has to do
with that subtle agent known as the
vital force, an acquaintance with which
enables the analytical mind to become
proficient in prognosis by weighing i'll
the balance the vitality on the one side
with the pathology ON the other
The indication of old age may be no.
ticed by ocular inspection. The figure
stoops the walk is less elastic, the
rounded figure gives place to the spare
habit of body, the wrinkle of time
mounts the cheek while the frost of
many winters mantles the brow. The
typical healthy person who attains old
age is spare of body. and old age en-
phasizes this fact by causing paucity
Of adipOse tissue. So the wrinkle of
time, after all, is kindly in nature.
Physiologically we notice that
diminution CT the physical energy is ac-
conn anied by a.coresponding diminu-
tion of the power to eliminate waste
material from the body. Elasticity and
strength give place to hardness and
brittleness of nearly all the TISSUES Of
the body The general health may be
good, because there is Il harmonious
balance between the action of the merry
Gus system and the circulatory system.
However, the former is less responsive
to external stimulation, and the latter
is less vigorous i'll old age. The vital
processes conducted by the circulation,
respiration and metabolic changes Ill
the tissues are less active. There are
diminished adaptability of the whole
system to changes i'll the environment
and less ability to meet the require
neEts of emergencies such as sudden
demands of muscular and mental strain.
The senile conditions and diseases are
numerous and obvious-in the first
place, weakened digestion and assimila-
ton. The weakened vigor of the circula-
ton and glandular system necessarily
weakens the power OF eliminating
the excrementitious substances, which
gives rise to pernieious nutrition, and
that i'll turn is the cause Of the tendency
to develop malignant or benign growths
i'll different parts of the body i'll old age.
The strong tendency to overeat and
underdrink, together with the natural
decline of functional power, gives rise
IL, ,,rI II ipit - ha
prime cause of the majority of deaths
III old age lii the healthy state that
great glandular furnace and chemical
laboratory, the liver, is capable of trans
forming an excess of heterogeneous matter,
which may result from metabolism of
tissue or exist i'll tho food consumed,
into the highly soluble oXcrementitious
substance known as urea This oxcre-
ment is eliminated from the blood
mainly by tho kidneys and to much
less extent by the skin.
Now, i'll old age, with the functional
power and natural vitality ON the wane,
together with the strong tendency to
| overlap this function of the liver, we
find this waste is not converted into
urea, but into uric or lithic acid, COM
paratively insoluble recommendations and
toxic substance, which if it appears III
the blood in sufficient quantity and is
long enough continued i'll circulation
through the urinary tubules sets up If
ritation and inflammation, which inev-
itably impair the function of the renal
! epithelium, and we find this poisonous
substance is not eliminated from the
system, but accumulates in the blood
This explains why old people are
almost universally troubled with disease
of the liver, kidneys, bladder and pros
tate gland Tho unstable circulation
atheromatous changes and brittleness
of the walls of the blood vessels, with
the tendency to oyertax the digestive
apparatus, are the cause of many old peo-
pie going to that boum from which
no traveller returns" by the apoplectie
route.
Hereditary diseases naturally mani
fest themselves when the vitality is be-
low certain level, SO we are not sur
prised to find certain dyscrasie and
latent tendencies manifesting them
selves ut this period of life, when the
natural vitality is waning. The diseases
most frequently found to be the cause
of dissolution among the aged are pneu-
monia, diseases of the liver and urinary
organs. consumption, cancer, apoplexy
and gangrene
The enemy to longevity, the author
continues, is self indulgence. People
who have reached an advanced age may
prolong their lives and greatly add to
the comfort of their declining years by
diminishing the quantity of food in
gested thereby avoiding too large
residue of waste matter either in the
intestinal canal or i'll the form of excro-
mentitious matter i'll the blood. jour
nal of American Medical Association.