As so many men of genius have taken the same point of view, it becomes necessary to inquire carefully as to whether or no too much knowledge be harmful to human happiness. If science do no more than to destroy faith and to teach us that the whole living world is moving towards a knowledge of inevitable old age and death, it becomes necessary to ask if the perilous march of science should not be stayed. Is it that the attraction of mankind to knowledge is as dangerous to the race, as the attraction of moths to the light is fatal to these wretched insects? The question demands an exact answer. But before giving the verdict, the facts of the case must be examined. I shall proceed to this in the chapters to follow. CHAPTER X INTRODUCTION TO THE SCIENTIFIC STUDY OF OLD AGE General account of old age—Theory of senile degeneration amongst unicellular organisms—Conjugation amongst infusoria—Old age in birds and anthropoid apes—General characters of senile degeneration—Sclerosis of the organs—Phagocyte theory of senile degeneration—Destruction of higher elements by macrophags—Mechanism of whitening of the hair—Serums acting on cells (cytotoxins)—Sclerosis of the arteries and its causation—Harm done by the microbes of the alimentary canal—Intestinal putrefaction and the modes of preventing it—Attempts to prolong human life—Longevity in biblical times While I cannot share the views of those who turn from science to seek truth and consolation in religion, it would be wrong to ignore or to be indifferent to the existence of that attitude. There are men who are tormented by the contradiction between the desire of life and the inevitability of death, and when these demand some solution of the problem, it is unreasonable merely to say that they are too exacting and should learn contentment. If a man complains to his physician of uncontrollable hunger and thirst, he is not told that it is wrong to be so greedy, and that that fault could be mastered by strength of mind. The doctor carefully examines the patient and does what he can for the distressing symptoms, which, indeed, in this case are generally due to diabetes. Those who hunger and thirst after eternal life, ought to be similarly treated by men of science whose duty it is to ameliorate their sufferings as much as possible. Science has undoubtedly gone far in the successful treatment of disease, both as regards prevention and cure, but it is powerless before those other evils from which Buddha implored his father to grant him exemption—old age and death. Science has attained to heights of knowledge undreamed of by Buddha’s father, King Couddhôdana, and yet it knows no more than he did with regard to the problem of old age and death. Like the king, science can but reply to its questioners: “You ask the impossible. I cannot help you!”