Senescence, the Last Half of LifeHall, G. Stanley (Granville Stanley)
Science
Senescence, the Last Half of Life
Hall, G. Stanley (Granville Stanley)
Geriatrics
Thus senile mentality shows temperamental changes. There is
introspection, with natural fears and unnatural phobias, hope for
strength and vitality or even for beauty, and often overweaning
biophilism. Action is slow; fatigue, quick. The mind may be often
trivial on all other matters but yet sound in the center of interest.
Personal attainments and achievements are often magnified, and
complaints are exaggerated as calls for sympathy. Moral deterioration
may be first. Lapses are condoned that were once condemned. The old
man may slowly come to take interest in what is low and vulgar. This
moral decadence is entirely apart from the pathological condition in
which the _cœundi potentia_ is lost while the desire remains, and the
recrudescence of desire may occur in the senile climacteric but is a
forerunner of senile dementia.
The æsthetic sense causes the old often to neglect cleanliness in
person and clothes, to be untidy in their room, expectorate, scratch in
public, make disagreeable sounds, and disregard proprieties generally.
Women show these traits, but in less degree, and depression is less
pronounced. There is no sudden realizing of aging and fear of death is
more often overcome by religion. Sometimes the intellectual faculties
deteriorate more rapidly, but moral and æsthetic impulses change less.
Sometimes old women take greater care of their appearance and seem to
be vain and to fight old age. Men occasionally at a great age take
a new interest in their appearance, dyeing their hair and becoming
dandified, which may show recrudescence of sex.
After the climacteric depression may pass to apathy. Death is less
fearful as the mind weakens; there is less concern for the future
and life is more in the present. Even early recollections grow dim,
although such cases may be roused momentarily. There may be marked
preference for association with children. There may also be childish
acts and garrulity. The family history given the physician by an
elderly patient is often unreliable. Insignificant symptoms are
magnified; so are former attainments. Old patients often claim they
possessed wonderful constitutions, perhaps that they were never ill,
despite indubitable marks of disease.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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