THE PROLONGATION OF LIFE
PART I
THE INVESTIGATION OF OLD AGE
I
THE PROBLEMS OF SENILITY
Treatment of old people in uncivilised countries—Assassination of old people in civilised countries—Suicide of old people—Public assistance in old age—Centenarians—Mme. Robineau, a lady of 106 years of age—Principal characters of old age—Examples of old mammals—Old birds and tortoises—Hypothesis of senile degeneration in the lower animals
In the “Nature of Man” I laid down the outlines of a theory of the actual changes which take place during the senescence of our body. These ideas, on the one hand, have raised certain difficulties, and, on the other, have led to new investigations. As the study of old age is of great theoretical importance, and naturally is of practical value, I think that it is useful to pursue the subject still further.
Although there exist races which solve the difficulty of old age by the simple means of destroying aged people, the problem in civilised countries is complicated by our more refined feelings and by considerations of a general nature.
In the Melanesian Islands, old people who have become incapable of doing useful work are buried alive.
In times of famine, the natives of Tierra del Fuego kill and eat the old women before they touch their dogs. When they were asked why they did this, they said that dogs could catch seals, whilst old women could not do so.