Identifier: geriatricsdiasc (find matches)
Title: Geriatrics : the diseases of old age and their treatment, including physiological old age, home and institutional care, and medico-legal relations
Year: 1914 (1910s)
Authors: Nascher, I. L. (Ignatz Leo), 1863- Jacobi, A
Subjects: Geriatrics
Publisher: Philadelphia : P. Blakiston's son & Co.
Contributing Library: West Virginia University Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: LYRASIS Members and Sloan Foundation

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gs, he becomes old fashioned, holding on toancient ideas and methods, and becomes irritated when theseare displaced. These idiosyncrasies become obnoxious to theyounger generation and they look upon him as queer. Theidiosyncrasies become more pronounced when the old mangrows careless about his person and his surroundings, althoughthis is mainly due to his desire to avoid everything that maycause physical exertion. Even among old women who wereformerly extremely neat this carelessness about their sur-roundings is often noticed. Owing to their innate vanity theymay, however, present an appearance of neatness though oftenthis applies only to externals. Among the depressing influencesof early senility is diminution of the sexual powers withoutdiminished desire. Where desire and power diminish togetherthis is not noticed, but the loss of the power alone often leads tothe sexual perversions of the exhibitionists. Mental weaknessproduces an expression of apathy; in mental depression there is
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CAUSES OF AGEING 39 moroseness, irritability, often pre-occupation (day dreaming),the individual talks to himself, sometimes exhibiting anger orfear upon the slightest provocation or without any apparentreason. (The changes during the senile climacteric have beendescribed in the chapter on The Senile State.) CAUSES OF AGEING The question why we grow old, or rather why, after a periodof physical perfection the organs and tissues degenerate and theirfunctions become weakened and perverted until they are unableto maintain the harmonious interrelations necessary for life, ispart of the great problem of life and death. Natural phenomenarequire scientific explanations. Recourse to unnatural, super-natural and superhuman agencies, a belief which can only bebased on faith, is simply an evasion of a scientific explanation.Of the metaphysical trinity—the beginning, life and the here-after, life is the one which is tangible to the extent that itsmanifestations may be studied. The nature of the

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