50 BIOLOGY OF DEATH 



fields of biology, about death and the duration of life. 

 Such a synthesis will be attempted in what follows. 

 Generally, those who have speculated about the biology 

 of death have drawn their evidence from, or at least had 

 their thinking largely colored by the facts in a relatively 

 small part of the whole field. In particular, few biologists 

 have any detailed knowledge; of the most impressive 

 mass of material, both in respect of quality and quantity, 

 which exists regarding the duration of life of any organ- 

 ism. I refer, of course, to the enormous volume of 

 rather exact data regarding human mortality. Much of 

 this material, to be sure, wants proper analysis, not 

 only mathematical but biological. But, that it is a rich 

 material admits of no doubt. 



