Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-07
DR.. EDWARD LopHoLz
IN PhysioIooist's Viewpoint Of Death


PHYSIOLOGICAL immortality as reality
I and the Immortality of life as it per
tains TO human beings. noSsibilty or the
future, are seen by DR.. Edward IodhoIH:
professor Of physiology Of the I niNcrS't% on
Pennsylvania. DIR. l.odholz discussed these
points. which seem startling to the conc p
ton of the layman, at recent lecture
THE actual reality Of" physiological i'm
mortality has already been established SCI
cntifrally," said DIR. l.odhoz. ''Sri"ntlHtS
not only nre aiming for but great many Sc"
as a possibility of the future the establish
ment of the immortality OF lie in the human
being.
immortality as manifested in the trans
ference of life cells from tn" people OF one
generation 20 those of another throughout th'
ages is fact beyond question ! li'I""t',
therefore from the scientist : viewpoint, Is
tremendous factor in life. Thus the chara"'
tcristcs of one generation nre preserved ~
another. II may yet be possible to drfh,"E
calculate how the fighting stock or the pest
Qualities Of one generation may be tranS-
frrrcd 10 another in II higher form, II au"
! respect is pud 70 the question OF preserving
the blood. Life. as one scientist has sad
may ultimately resolve its"It INT" m"'h''
| mates. .,
''rhc physoogist il already able to re
| cord the fact TINT. contrary to tn" blbNraI
saying that each generation grows weaker
| and wiser and the popular idea thnt the
| fast pace Of modern life tends to shorten
| its snnn thc average age to which man lives
| has been upprccably heightened over thht "t
| former years. Epdcmics have been alm"SI
eliminated, and death due to accidental
causes-that is typhoid smallpox, ph"m
monin and other maladirS-haS been ma
! tprinly lcSscncd. All this has tended to
show an increase in the age attained by man
But oven outside of these cons dcrali" th"
life Of man is being gradually length'n"d OS
| SCicn"c,
Hygiene Extending Age span
tnInN n
great increase in the age span, The question
| Of nutrition has been advanced to the point
where it Is showing in greater longevity u
Will be u possibility within IN" near lutur"
TO limit the question to on" Ht c""u'ur lhN'S
tirotion. aud il is not improbable that people
will not only more universally reach old age,
but will be actually living with vigorous
life instead of in scniIc or partly dcud
condition.
"Death. contrary to the popular view, is
| NOT n mnttrr of a few hours or days or
weeks II sets in nj birth som" reach
srnilit, or death while living, at very
early age. Deuth comes gradually during the
wears aS one set of cells after another cease
to function,
"rhp problem facing the investigator IN
lhi- field is to obtain an lnllmat" kn0Wlrug'
Of every one Of the conditions necessary foi
the maintenance of life, Not only thus, bu
he must understand their intrracti0nS. ThcI
and then only will he be able TO eliminate til,
conditions, probably many that are inslru
mental in the production 0t dealh,
The problem Of physiological immortality
although an immensely complex one. never
rncIrss lends itself much better to scientific
methods than that of the immortality of th
, ! soul Scientific methods hav" unfodcd tn
. fact that physiological Immortality is
rrnlity At present II Is only "on"luSivcl
: nnStratrd in the single '"eIlrd forms.
|, 'Nrt this Is Il giant stride. TheS" organ
{ isns are mndp Of the same vital SubStanrr
+ lundamrntally as the highest animal forms
y When then, we face the fact thnt mortalit
| i. present in multcrllular forms. the pr0blCT
of re- SrabliShing immortality does not loo
like an nSupcrabc one.
Theories Not Fatal Barrier
= I'm fact most Of these theories do uo
u uIn,r IA fntal barrier to the possibility "f es
u tabliShing Immortality in all living form,
In moments of optimism II IS UOSSibI"
imagine that the goal will be- reached and III
pinnuclr Of human cndravor within the pussi
n biIitics Of srirncr accomplished. that Of ">tai
~ fishing the immortality of the individual
Is 1T may involve centuries Of aTduOuS I,
" search and thousands of the wOrld' gr"alr,
II researchers. BUT il is dream worth III
endeHvOr, for on the journey to its solution
even though this be impossible. mmanir
~ will benefit for many discoveries of III
r. greatest value concerning life viii be- give
it TO the world,
/ THE scientist in considering death mu
p rob II of its principal charm, mysticism. ri
he relgiOnist and the poet have this thought
n Su, The .nAstcri"G' !. ulwa,> Iasy