AN ANALYSIS OF THE COURSE OF 

 GROWTH AND SENESCENCE 



/. Introduction 



GROWTH and senescence take place simultaneously. We 

 grow and grow old at the same time, and there is, there- 

 fore, no dividing line between the two. It is only a question of 

 dominance. Roughly, during the first third of our life, up to 

 about twenty-five years of age, growth changes predominate, 

 while during the last two-thirds of life, the changes of senes- 

 cence predominate. Before describing each of these two phases 

 separately, it seems advisable to obtain a bird's-eye view of the 

 life cycle as a whole, and to describe the several stages of the 

 life cycle. 



The best verbal description of the age changes in man is no 

 doubt that penned by Shakespeare. Shakespeare distinguishes 

 seven stages. 



At first the Infant, 



Mewling, and puking in the Nurses armes: 

 Then, the whining Schoole-boy with his Satchell 

 And shining morning face, creeping like snaile 

 Unwillingly to schoole. And then the Lover, 

 Sighing like Furnace, with a wofull ballad 

 Made to his Mistresse eye-brow. Then a Soldier 

 Full of strange oaths, and bearded like the Pard, 

 Jelous in honor, sodaine and quicke in quarrelle, 

 Seeking the bubble Reputation 

 Even in the Canons mouth: And then, the Justice 

 In fair round belly with good Capin lin'd, 

 With eyes severe, and beard of formall cut, 

 Full of wise sawes, and moderne instances, 

 And so he playes his part. The sixt age shifts 

 Into the leane and slipper'd Pantaloone, 



