ACQUIRINGFIRST-HANDKNOWLEDGE 443
stagnates and congeals in the vessels. More and more the
body loses its former powers. Once elastic, healthy, alert,
pliable, active and sensitive, it becomes rigid, slow, and
insensible. Finally, it dies of old age.
The question now arises, What is the cause of this
gradual ossification of the body, bringing rigidity,
decrepitude, and death?
From the purely physical standpoint, chemists seem to
be unanimous in the opinion that it is principally an increase
of phosphate of lime (bone matter), carbonate of lime
(common chalk), and sulphate of lime (plaster of paris), with
occasionally a little magnesia and an insignificant amount of
other earthy matters.
The only difference between the body of old age and
that of childhood is the greater density, toughness and
rigidity, caused by the greater proportion of calcareous,
earthy matter entering into the composition of the former.
The bones of a child are composed of three parts of gelatin
to one part of earthy matter. In old age this proportion is
reversed. What is the source of this death-dealing
accumulation of solid matter?
It seems to be axiomatic that the entire body is
nourished by the blood and that everything contained in the
body, of whatever nature, has first been in the blood.
Analysis shows that the blood holds earthy substances of the
same kind as the solidifying agents—and mark!—the
arterial blood contains more earthy matter than thevenous
blood.
This is highly important. It shows that in every cycle the
blood deposits earthy substances. It is therefore the common
carrier that chokes up the system. But its supply of earthy
matter must be replenished, otherwise it could not continue