Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-02-24
PUTS AGE LIMIT AT 40
Or. William osler Declares Great
Work of World is by Young Men
Choroform All After go.

Baltimore. Md. Feb 23--That little
in the world is accomplished by a man
over 40 years of age. that men of GO
years of age should be retired or chlor-
lcgcs are teaching mongrcl systems of
medicine producing ignorant practi-
TONERS and borrowing their sciences
aud instructors from abroad and that
Europe is far ahead OF the United
States in medical universities, We're
tho statements made in the farewell
address Of DR.. William Osler yesterday
ut the university exercises of Johns
Hopkins University which institution
he is about to leave to become head of
the medical school of oxford TniNer-
sity.
Il have two fixed ideas well known
to my friends he said. The first is
the comparative uselessness of men
above 40 years of age. This may seem
shocking, and yet read Alright the
worlds history. bears out the state
ment Take the sum of human achieve
mcnt in action. in science, in art. in
literature. subtract the work of men
above 40, and while we should miss
great treasures-even priceless treas
ures-we would practically be where
we are today
Best Work by Young Men.
1T is difficult to name Il great and
far-reaching conquest of the mind,
which has not been given to the world
Ia.
still shining. The effective moving.
vitaizing work of the world is done
between the ages of % and 40--those
fifteen golden years of plenty, the
anabolic or constructive period in
which there is always u balance in the
mental bank and the credit is still
good.
In the science ana art of medicine
there has not been no advance of the
first rank which has not been mi
tiated by young or comparatively
young men. Nesalius Harvey, Hunter
Bycht, lie Ennec. Virchow Lister.
Koch--the green years We're yet upon
their heads when their epoch making
studies were made. To modify an old
saying. a man is sane morally at 80,
rich mentally at 40, wise spiritually at
50--or never.
The young men should be encour-
aged and afforded every possible
chance to show what is in them.
Useless Above Age of 60.
MY second idea is the uselessness
of men above 60 years of age and the
incalculable benefit it would be in COM
mercial, political and in professional
life, if, as matter of course, men
stopped work at this age In that
charming novel. The Fixed PERIOD
Anthony Trollope discusses the prac-
teal advantages in modern life of a
return to this ancient usage, and the
plot hinges on the admirable scheme
of college into which at sixty
men retired for year of contempla-
ton before a peaceful departure by
chloroform.
AS it can be maintained that all the
great advances have come from men
under 40, so the history of the world
shows that a very large proportion of
the evils may be traced to sexagenar-
ians-nearly all the great mistakes. po-
litically and socially, all of the worst
poems, most of the bad pictures a ma
jority of the bad novels, not a few of
the bad sermons and speeches.
DR.. Osler made his criticisms of the
system of medical education in Amer
lea while praising the hospital and
laboratory practice accorded at Johns
HopkinS'