The Washington times., 1919-12-30
DR.. Osl,r, Who UrgedKil ing
Off Men at 60, Dies at 20,
After Belying Own Theory
Famous Physician Who Favored
Chloroforming Aged Served
Country Faithfully in War
During Last Days.

OXFORD, England, Dec. 3o.-Ten
years past the age at which he ono
facetiously said a man shound be
chloroformed as useless, Sir Wiliiar,
Osier, seventy years old, died here
'ast night of pneumonia.
He was a leader Of the faculty of
Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore
for fifteen years, from 1889 to 1907
and was regarded as one of the
worlds leading physicians. Lik
oliver Wendell Holmes, while recoe
nized in his own profession for hi:
professional learning and skill, hi
popular fame was based on somethin
entirely outside--Dr. Holmes for hi,
cintfllating verse and DR.. Osler's 70
his remark that a man became con,
oaratively useless at forty and shoul
be put out of the way at sixty.
This rerark was made at a banque
n Baltimore when he was fifty-siy
speaking of the advisability Of retire.
ment Of physicians from the teaching
ervice after definite period or at
| fixed age, he said:
Two Fixed Ideas.
81 have two fixed ideas; well known
my friends.
THE first is a comparative useless
ness of men above forty years of age.
This may seem shocking, and yet
road Alright the worlds history bears
out the statement. Take the sum of
human achievement in action, in
: cfence, in art, in literature-sub-
tract the work of men above forty,
md, while we should mss great
treasures, even priceless treasures,
we would practically be where we
IRE today. 1t is fticult to name a
;reat and far-reaching conquest of
he mind which has not been given
o the world by a man on whose back
-he sun was still shining.
"The effective, moving, vitaIizine
work OF the world is done between
he ages of twenty-fye and forty
jears-these fifteen golden years OF
'lenty. To modify an old saying, q
aan Is safe morally at thirty, rich
aentally at forty, wise spiritually a,
.fty-or never
Advocated Chloroform.
MY second fixed idea is the USE
essness of men above sixty years O.
ge, and the incalculable benefit II
|ould be in commercial, political. and
professional life, if. as a mat .er
IT course, men stopped work at this
ge. Donne tells us in his 'Blathan-
natos' that, by the laws of certain
Use states, Sexageneraii were pre-.
pltated from bridge, and in Rome
nen or that age were not admitted to
ne suffrage, and were called de-
ont2ni, because the way to the sem
'e was per montem, and they from
.se were not permitted to come
ither.
In that charming novel, the Fixed
eriod' Anthony Trollope discusses
ne practical advantages in mo ern
re or return to this anci, mt usage,
nd the plot hinges on the aGm rable
'heme OF a college into which at co
EN- retired for a year of co1tem-
lation before a peaceful departure
chloroform. That incalcula BILE
eneht might follow such a scheme is
ppartn to anyone who. like myself,
nearing the limit and who has
Iade a careful study of the calami-
es which may b. fall men during the
eventh and eighth decades!
OsIcrinn Theory.
This "Oslerian Theory" as Il was
lied. brought a storm OF condemna-
on and criticism upon him from ALI
Iarters. His statements were mis-
ioted. he was charged with SAVING
ings he had not said at all, and
ere was tremendous hubbub rut
never worried DR.. Osler in the
ghtes degree. Asked for s.ate.
cnt in reply to some of the criti.
SINS he said:
Nothing in the criticism has
AIKEN " conviction that the telling
'ork of the world has been done and
s done by men under forty years of
sc.
1t would be for the general good
men at sixty were relieved from
tive work. We would miss the en-
'gies of some young old men. but,
the whole. it would be for tn ,
eates' 'ervice to the sexagenai
emselves."
Planned to Enter Contest,
When DR.. Osler himse,e reached
g age OF sixty. he was IN England
inning to enter into contest with
inston Churchill and George WIND =
I'm for the lord rectorship Of the
liversity o. Edinburgh.
When the war in Europe broke out
threw himself into his country's