The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-06-04
THE DAYS OF OUR YEARS
s,ecEsTIoNs on THE HYGIENE AND
MANAGEMENT OF OLD AGE.
rhe First symptoms OF Declining VIZ
taIity and How They should BE Met
Men should Live longer.

-,esident of the Indiana State Board of
ITealth read an unusually interesting paper
ssfore the State Society Of Homeopathic
PHYSICIANS az the meeting last week. His
tonic was. The Hygiene and Management
- old Age" and IN discussing II the doctor
said:
The days of our years are threescore
years ana ten; and If, by reason Of strength,
ybey De fOurscore years, yet Is their
s-rsrg.h labor and sorrow. for II is soon cut
of and we fly away. So spoke the Psalm
Isl David. and for centuries the Christian
--orId has held 10 the belize that the utter
snce was inspired by the Deity. who had
Txed this limit 10 human lite, allowing. in
few instances. this natural limit 10 be ex-
cseded but with an ADDED l-erltage of labor
and sorrow as a penalty.
Now he clergy have a way of making
,be teachings of molly writ compatible with
ohserved fact, where they seem to disagree.
srbus some statements are to be taken
Teurative, and IN some others the inspired
vsTifer speaks not under direct inspiration,
but as a man. after the manner OF the great
sp0sfles of the gentiles- May /. then, not
escape the charge OF heresy If l say that the
sweet singer spoke OF men or his own day,
and in accordance with his own observa-
fiOns and meant not 10 declare limit TO
human life for all time 10 come? Statistics
show that longevity is increasing, and our
daily observation confirms the report. i
LnOw a score who have passed the eightieth
milestone on life's journey, and are still
10CCing along, not, indeed, at the same
epeed with which they passed the fortieth
on. and rot without some hating and other
evidences Of wearied feet, but, nevertheless,
rifh a Y or that promises a continuance
~, some time yet / have known a half
score fsOme of whom yet oontinue) who have
passed the ninetieth one; and three that
p9ssed the huT dredth, one reaching the one
hundred and fourth. and another the one
hundred and fourteenth. We frequently
see IT. the public press, an announcement or
me death OF some nonagenarian. or CEN
fenarian and with some frequency
local that states that Mr.. ----, ia
military known as Uncle Billy. or Aunt
Mary. has reached the good old age of
- Not less than ninety and is in fairly
good health, etc.) The factors that have
wrought in raising the average of human
life and in increasing longevity, are a wider
and deeper knowledge of the laws of health,
better food and moIe of II, better houses
with a better sanitation of the same, and
better clothing with a better adaptation to
changes of season and condition OF body.
But in our advancement in these particulars
We have been much inclined 10 take adult
human life in the mass, and have neglected
10 specialize.
TEACHING THAT Is NEEDED.
Volumes have been written upon the sub
feet Of the hygiene and management of in
fancy. with the treatment of its disorders,
and volumes upon volumes have been writ
ten upon these as they relate to adult life,
but who has seen a comprehensive treatise
upon the hygiene, general management and
treatment OF the disorders of old age? All
will readily admit that the conditions of life
IN old age differ as radically from those
that obtain at middle life as do those OF in
fancy, and that the means OF conserving
life and a measure or health should be as
carefully adapted 10 these changed condl-
tons a they are TO those OF infancy. Then
why is IL that we have so little teaching
upon these heads while there is so much
upon the others? Surely, not because the
barbarouS instinct OF our remote progenl-
tors survives in us. and. all unrecognized,
tacitiy regard the aged as useless and
in the way, and SO allow them TO go their
daily witnessed the solicitude and deep con-
Germ OF sons and daughters for their aged
parents, and know with what heartaches
and with what alarm and anguish they
view each sickness of these aged ones, as If
the end were at hand / think that the
fault lies in our continued acceptance of
the limit of David, and our blindness to the
plain teachings OF vital statistics, saying
nothing OF those OF anatomy and phys
iology.
l think that the time has come when we
should advance the days of our years
10 one hundred, and regard him who does
not reach the measure as untimely cut of.
] think that We now have sufficient war
rant for discarding the belief that decay
and death must follow IN close ana unln>
terrupted sequence after the first positive
signs of age have made their appearance,
and that all that we can do is TO stand
intelligent spectators of this last masquer-
ade that human life puts on. Be ii ours,
rather, TO apply ourselves TO the task or
discovering the first faint appearance or
approaching decay, and with such means
as are at our command delay and postpone
its possession. When old age has fully
come, then let us protect and care for 1t
do for infancy, for the garnered wis
dom and the steadying hand OF the long,
cool afternoon of life are or as much value
10 society and TO the State as are the valor
and dash of young manhood; and at that
period there is to be expected caretul
discrimination and a just disposal of the
cause, such as we may not look for at a
ffrna her fh1a
impulse rules the reason.
SYMPTOMS OF AGE.
Let us now consider the positive evidence
Of decay, and see If we may not deduce
therefrom a more certain means OF detect
ing its feinter manifestations, which, having
learned. will yield a greater advantage in
combating its advances. Long before they
thrust themselves upon the unwilling atten-
ton of the victim, the careful observer will
have noticed the following: The con1unctlVa
reddens easily, the cornea mas natteneo
some. and vision IS defective, the hair has
frosted at the temples, is losing Its luster
and Is growing thinner. the skin Is becoming
dry and harsh. is wrfnkling in places, and
no longer has the glow and elasticity II once
had. The frame is losing its suppienesS, the
step IS no longer springy and QUICK. the
sway of the body has jerky movement,
and the shoulders are rounding. The mus
eles losing their flowing outline and are
becoming 1attened and haccid. The hands
are slightly tremulOus, the fingers no longer
quick and certain, but tumble where they
used 10 act with precision and deheacy An
inquiry viii show that the long dreamlesS
and profound sleep of youth has given place
10 one that is easily waking at
the song of the bird'-aS Solomon has II.
and surely is broken al some early morn
Ing hour. nor returns until an hour or more
OF iruiteSS tossing. The mucous mem
braEes are irritable and discharge more
freely than their wont, though other Secre-
tons are deficient. and the breath Is foul
az times. Muscular action OF the lntestlneS
Is feebler, and in consequence constipation
Is more frequent and troublesome The KID
neys have become NOR active. because the
functions CT the skin are less so, but the
secretion varies from one containing put
little solid matter 10 another ladened
with hthates. the product of Imperfect oXi-
oation. These are followed by vesical irrl-
liability, requiring frequent evacuauons-a
cause OF much annoyance and broken rest.
Prostatc enlargement, and difficult and even
painful evacuation follow closely Owing 10
osSlncatiOn of the cOstal cartridges the move
ment Of the chest in respiration Is no longer
iuli and free, and the effort required brings
about some dilatation OF the air cells. ana
these, combined with other causes, bring
shout a shorJness OF breath upon eXertion.
Inc muscular structure of the heart Is
Weakened by fatty degeneration or mole
GUAR necrosis. its nutrition is defective be-
cause OF obstructive calcarous deposits IN
the walls OF the nutrient arteries. These
catc2rous deposits have invaded the mus
GUAR structures of all the arteries, and
nave converted them into more or less rigid
tunes, that have lost much of their pristine
power or expanding or contracting under the
- - a INw~N