Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1899-05-11
WHAT OLD AGE MEANS.
Changes I'm the D~dy That Arc
wrought by the Pass
Ing Years.

the PROTOCOL to the mammals ana
from the protophytes TO the seed
plants. we find certain changes az O.
conditions characteristic oftold afe
In the human subject the principal
changes which we note are atrophfc
and degenerative In their nature. 4 lie
muscles ard glands are the parts mere
especially involved in senile ntrorhy.
although other soft parts nre affected
10 some extent There Is n dimunition
in size OF the cellular elements, though
withoutinvolying any essential change
in their structure. The muscular
fibers become small. and are said TO
take on more uniformity OF size. while
the spleen and lymphatic glands UNI
dergo remarkable dimunition In
weight and size. which increases as age
advances. There Is also some shrink
ing in volume of the glaudular struc-
lures of iAe digestive tract. Wherever
fat has accumulated IL gradually
wastes away. II is said that atrophy
begins 10 take place before degeuera-
ton commences. Pigmentary and
fatty infltratiens of the elements are
common. as are also calcacerous in
crustations. As an instance Of the To-
cation Of this fatty degeneration,
muscular iibers. both voluntary and
involuntary. might be mentioned. IL
is also found in blood vessels, especial
" the terminal arteries OF the brain.
and TO some extent in the nerve cells
and In the parenchyma OF glanduar
organs. Elementary inhltratou, II IL
claimed. is not so frequently met with
as is fatty iniiltration. In the pineal
gland, In ligaments, cartridges. ten
dons and the walls of arteries cal
careous deposits are common. In the
brain and spinal cord the neuralgia in
creases until it frequently rTcdom-
mates over the nervous element. and
there is a tendency 10 the deposition
of omylaceous bodies in these parts.
The fatty elements Of the brain are
diminished. while the water and phos-
phorus are increased in quantity.
The height and weight of the body
on account Of these changes are dimin-
ished. the body as whole being short
er and lighter. while its individual
parts are also leSsened. In size, with the
exception Of the heart and kidneys.
The heart. asa rule, is hypertrophied
while the Kidneys are at least the size
they were in middle life. Changes take
place in the skin. rendering it dry and
wrinkled the hair becomes thin and
white. the teeth drop out. the body
bends.
These changes induce q general de-
crease in vigor; the power Of the mus
cles is lessened. the combustion going
on in the body is diminished. as Il
shown by a decrease in the amount o.
carbonic acid gas exhaled. The vita
capacity Of the lungs is decreased, al
though there is quickening of th'
respiratory rhythm. The pulse rat
rises. the secretions are diminished
and the quantity Of urine Is less. Such
briefly stated, are some Of the charao
terlstics Of old age. This period 0
life is more liable to certain diseases
as those due to arterio-sclerosis, 10 Ger
tain forms of rheumatism and goui
and so on.
What produces these changes In tn
body which drag us down TO IN
grave? Is there no way TO retard o
prevent them? II wd could obnat
: them. even in q measure how grea
j would be the benefit and with what =.
; joicing would the enrth's inhabitnni
hail the discovery. especially thos
: among them who have begun TO ente
the shadows which gnther about Iife'
EVENING" In the cycle through whic
T a portion Of the material world r,
: volves-from the organic 10 the inol
= ganic. from the living to the dead an
!, back again to the living--it would AZ
: pear that. as old age approaches. III
. material of the animal body takes o
more and more the nature Of the inoi
ganic and becomes more and nor
p akin 10 the mineral world. When a
{ individual starts in life he appears I
r be endowed with a certain power q
!. ability 10 maintain his status in Oh
q highly organized animal world and I
G resist largely the tendency Of his IL
+; sues to become in their chemical nj
5 ture more nearly akin 10 the miner'
r kingdom.
e What this power consists in do nj
r know. but it seems TO be greatly in
paired by age Now. II by introdu
= ing into the body certain agents whic
I might render the excess of accumula
s ing mineral matter more soluble. s
n that II could be more easily eliminate
o from the body. we might get rid Of or
@ element that contributes largely I
y the deterioration aud degenerate
e that come with old age. Again. a
I animal and vegetable tissues whe
n young possess in a large measure IN
g resistance toward the changes III;
e take place in senility. Then, WI
e would it not be feasible and ration
:. idea for those who are approachir
e the period of life when senile chang
g begin to make their appearance
{ take as nourishment only the Tissue
8 Of young animals and vegetables al
thereby supplement- their waning po'
e er of resistance with that of those o
o ganismst which contain It in abu
c dance? And. also, rs we now have
Il process OF treating certain diseas'
e conditions Of different organs OF II