Evening star., 1951-11-25
Old dAge-
Men in White Seek
Fountain of Youth
By Howard l. Dutkin

austere atmosphere of the scientific
laboratory, and the searchers are
garbed in white instead of the armor
of the conquistadores.
That progress is being made in
the battle against death is evident
from Census Bureau figures that show
there were in 1850. total of 1872
million persons in the United States
of go years of age or older. This
represented 12.1 per cent of the popu-
lation. excluding the armed forces,
as against only per cent in 1900.
In 1920 the median age of the
American was 1877 years. BY 1900
it had risen to 229 years, then to
20 in 1910. and to 301 years today.
The increase in the proportion Of
the elderly in the population has
spurred interest in geriatrics-the
scientific study of the aging process
and the maintenance of good health
in those of advanced years.
The National Heart Institute of the
thesda is engaged in longtime pro-
gram seeking to determine among
other things Cd the causes of physi-
cal changes that occur in transition
of youth to old age; (2) the reserve
strength Of hearts, both normal and
diseased. at various ages: 90 the ef-
feet of various types of diets. and
"a the part played by engines
those mysterious chemical molecules
that take inert foodstuffs and manu-
facture living tissues of them.
No Fountoin, ReoIIy
Scientists are loath to connect
their research with a fountain of
youth" idea. fearing that the public
may link them with such quackery
as that practiced a couple of decades
ago by DR.. John r. Brinkley of goat
gland" fame. who claimed successful
rejuvenation through his methods.
but, who. himself, died. at the age
of 56.
But it is evident that, through
research into the mental and physical
ailments typical of old age, clues may
be found as to their causes and CO.
incidentally means found of remov-
ing or ameliorating such causes.
Experiments conducted elsewhere
have indicated that the engines
the spark plugs of the life process
decrease in efficiency as years pile
up and worn tissues fail to renew
themselves.
1t is theorized that the failure
may lie in the biochemical setup
that synthesizes material out of which
the body is constantly being renewed.
Or it may be attributed to the les
sening of the body's power to burn
up foodstuffs and obtain energy from
them.
In enzymatic experiments. the Ma
tional Heart Institute has found that
lack of engines is associated with
a certain rare mental disease, but.
a spokesman said. it is too early to
claim definite linkup.
New Building Here
In Washington the opening last
week of new $3.8 million geriatrics
building marked another milestone in
combating problems of the aged.
First occupants of the new struc-
ture were go st. Elizabeths Hospital
patients ranging in age up to 10S
years. Eventually 504 mental pa
tients who are also afflicted with
some physical ailment will be ad-
mitted
Although about 30 per cent of st.
Elizabeth's more than 1000 patients
are past IS, age alone will not be
the criterion for admission. Patients
of any age who are mentally i'll will
be selected individually on the basis
of accompanying physical ailments.
Many of the mental illnesses stem
directly from physical maladies, &C
cording to Dr. Addison Duval. chief
of staff. He said that of all patients
admitted to st. Elizabeths in the last
is years. 40 per cent Of those over
IS were released within three years.
DR.. Theodore c. Fohg, chief of the
geriatrics program. believes that the
mere prolongation of life without
vigor and activity is meaningless.
In line with this philosophy the
new building will boast occupational
therapy rooms where long -inactive
fingers can find new skills and re-
sumo old ones. beauty shop for the
eternal feminine and a barber shop.
Although the building contains
facilities for general medical and
pSychiatric care, major surgery will
be performed elsewhere in the hos
pital.
Alexander Looked
The quest for eternal youth goes
back through the ages. Alexander
the Great sought its source in India
and was reported to have discovered
a magic apple tree whose fruit, when
eaten, would confer 400 more years
of life. Alexander was 80 when he
died.
Probably the best known of the
seekers was Juan Ponce de Leon, a
former shipmate of Christopher Co
lumbus and Governor of Puerto
Rico. Piqued by talks of fountain
of youth lying in the lands
northward, he journeyed from Puerto
Rico in March, 1912. He landed in
Florida, found no fountain, but did
run across a lot of irritable Indians
and died of wounds suffered in COM
bat with them following second
trip.
A later chronicler, Antonio de
Herrera, in writing of the quest. de-
clared: This report youth foun-
tain) prevailed with all the princes
and caciques in those parts to en-
deavor to find a river that wrought
such wonderful change :. so that
there was not river or brook or
scarce lake or puddle in all Florida
but what they bathed themselves
in. :"