Feminescence^ and Rejuvenescence. 279 



to which he arrives in his own words. " Virilescenco," says 

 Dr Mehliss, " like many other degenerations to which or- 

 ganic bodies are liable, is a means of compensating a dispro- 

 portion which exists in the organism between the energy of 

 the vegetative life of the whole body and that of individual 

 organs." 



Rejuvenescence. — The idea of the assumption by aged per- 

 sons of the characters of youth was familiar to the ancients, 

 and probably formed the groundwork of the fable of Medea 

 and ^son. Pliny and his successors have related instances of 

 the kind, and modern writers have added to our stock of facts. 

 No one, however, we believe, before Dr Mehliss, has attempted 

 to collect the scattered cases to ascertain their credibility, and 

 thus to make the whole subject a branch of physiology. He 

 arranges the phenomena of rejuvenescence under five distinct 

 heads: — 1. The secretion of milk by aged females. 2. The 

 return of the menstrual discharge. 3. The cutting of teeth in 

 old age. 4. The growth of hair similar in colour to that of 

 the young. 5. The sharpening of the intellect, and restoration 

 of the vivacity of youth to the old. 



It would occupy too much space were we to notice, however 

 briefly, the various facts which are here detailed : and we must 

 refer our readers to the original work. The subjoined table 

 shews, at one view, the number and nature of the principal 

 facts. 



Total, . 20 16 3 W 



It is stated by Dr Mehliss to be a necessary condition for 

 the appearance of the phenomena of rejuvenescence, that there 

 exists complete energy and integrity of vegetative life at the 



