In 1911 the intermittence reappeared. In January 1911, I consulted Dr. Heitz in order to know whether I could undertake an expedition in the Kalmuk steppes, where hygienic conditions are very unfavourable. Dr. Heitz found my heart hypertrophied, some slight galloping noise, the blood-pressure (Pachon's apparatus) 17-16-15. He said, however, that I might undertake the journey, but added, "People die suddenly with less the matter than that with their hearts." The journey went well, though I suffered from frequent intermittence and pains along the sternum when I walked. After my return, my heart was fairly satisfactory. What consoles me especially is that I have preserved my activity, my passion for work, and my intellectual powers. But, naturally, I am ready to die at any moment. At the beginning of the summer I was sounded by Dr. Manoukhine and Professor Tchistovitch; both thought the heart-sounds satisfactory, but Manoukhine was rather struck by the weakness of the first aortic sound whilst the second was very strong. I had frequent intermittence, but with intervals of normal pulsations. Latterly I have felt better in that respect, and the pain along the sternum only occurred in exceptional cases. Whilst preparing for my end, I am glad that I can face it with courage and serenity. As I look back upon my life, it seems to me to have been as "orthobiotic" as possible. If it may seem premature to die at 68 years and 5 months, it must not be forgotten that I began to live very early (I published my first scientific work at 18); that I have had many emotions during my life; that I was, so to speak, in a state of continual ebullition. The polemics concerning phagocytosis might have killed or finally enfeebled me much earlier. At times (for instance, I refer to Lubarsch's attacks in 1889 and those of Pfeiffer in 1894) I was ready to rid myself of life. Moreover, I only began to follow a rational hygiene (according to my opinion) after I was 53 years old and already had symptoms of arterio-sclerosis. I have been fairly successful in combating intestinal putrefaction (phenols and indols),[29] but I could not succeed in getting rid of abundant _clostridium butyricum_ which were implanted in my intestine. To sum up, I rejoice that I have had an existence not devoid of sense, and I feel some satisfaction in considering my conception of the problem of life as being accurate. As I prepare to die, I have not the shadow of a hope of a life beyond, and I calmly look forward to complete annihilation. It is possible that having very early begun a very intense life, I have attained at 68 a precocious satiety of living, just as certain women cease to menstruate earlier than the great majority. EL. METCHNIKOFF. _P.S._--I believe everything is in order in view of my end (my will, my affairs, etc.).