The Ypsilanti daily press. (Ypsilanti, Mich.) 1928-1962, 1944-10-03

what it was once, but we should
always remember that the muscles
taken all together constitute the
largest mass OF tissue in the body
and they are in a very favorable
situation for US to be able to modi-
fy them and hence modify the en-
tire body.
Understand | am not advocating
vigorous exercise or such like &C
tivities for old people. The old fool
who played football on his college
team when he was young and still
keeps up the cold shower, 10|mile
walk every day rain or shine, or
the full Is hole round of golf is
the guy who makes our life insur-
ance premiums so large.
But on the contrary most old
people give away to the idea that
their muscular system is all full
Of carbon and cultivate an atti-
tude Of what's the use.
Normal Senescenee
DR.. Pepper, of Philadelphia, had
made a useful distinction between
senescence which is physiologic
aging and senility which is abnor-
NAL or pathologic old age. Normal
senescence brings changes to all
the tissues of the body and con-
sequent functional changes. But
the functional changes are no
more than a diminution or reduc-
ton of the normal functions: they
are not changes in the nature Of
the functions only changes in de-
gree of activity and alertness.
The tissue changes of senes-
cence are first, progressive deny
dration. The tissues o. the old per-
son have not as much juices as
those of the young person. There
is nothing startlingly new in that,
it Is only put in scientific Ian
guage. There is also a reduction
in elastic tissue. These changes
are seen in loss of weight, change
in stature and especially notice
able is atrophy of the skin, where
the process can be seen right IN
der your eyes.
But this does not exclude the
elderly person from the physio-
logical benefits which come from
the ordinary trained and deliberate
exercise of the bodily functions.
They should be reduced in extent
or amount but not changed in
kind.
Exercises Needed
Some genius some time is go.
ing to get up a series Of arm chair
exercises for elderly people that
can be taken Systematically every
day just as the young people take
systematic daily exercises on the
parade ground or the athletic field
or in the gymnasium.
One particular health manoeu-
vre that old people should reduce
is the daily bath. That is a health
fetish that is too often honored in
the observance than in the breach.
AS / mentioned above the skin of
elderly persons atrophies and wa
ter, especially water with soap,
does not act we'll on these thin,
parchment-like skins.
This warning is very appropri-
ate with the beginning of winter.
old peoples winter itch is almost
invariably traceable TO too much
bathing and soapin9. The modern
American bathtub is a great boon
TO the youngsters, but the old
fashion sewing up in fannels for
the winter was better as an n.y.
gienic procedure for the old peo-
pie.
II is q notorious fact, known
10 better informed physicians, that
old people do not stand drugs well.
Nor react the same way to drugs
as younger people. Sleeping medi-
cine, for instance, is likely to make
them excited rather than sleepy.
So for proper control Of disagree
able symptoms in the elderly we
should depend on such physical
measures as massage, heat, modi-
fed exercises, and controlled bath
ing.