Pathological Basis of Ageing 23 



in a number of organs. Experience has taught us that these 

 are serious processes capable enough of bringing about the 

 death of affected individuals at any age. In many cases, it is 

 true, equally serious acute, killing diseases are also present 

 but they are of short duration and are merely complications. 

 I have yet to encounter an instance where a clear-cut patho- 

 logical basis could not be found and, moreover, one which had 

 obviously progressed and become more dangerous as age 

 advanced. I cannot exclude the possibility that cases may be 

 met with in which morbidity is not very obvious, but I feel 

 more and more certain with increasing experience that 

 rigorous investigation invariably brings to light pathological 

 equivalents for ageing. I doubt very much whether there are 

 specific structural disturbances due to old age, and that alone. 

 I hold the view that ageing is merely the vector sum of a 

 number of morbid processes most of which take a time to 

 develop, and often a long time to reach a serious climax. 

 Many of these commence when we are young, perhaps even 

 when we are born, and insidiously develop throughout the 

 greater part of our active lives. The remedy for ageing must 

 needs be sought for in youth. Death, then, constitutes one 

 means of stopping the progress of morbidity. With Montaigne 

 I believe that "Death is but an end to dying". 



REFERENCES 



Howell, T. H., and Piggot, A. P. (1949). Geriatrics, 4, 281. 

 Howell, T. H., and Piggot, A. P. (1950). Geriatrics, 5, 90. 

 Howell, T. H., and Piggot, A. P. (1951). Geriatrics, 6, 85. 

 Howell, T. H., and Piggot, A. P. (1952). Geriatrics, 7, 137. 

 Howell, T. H., and Piggot, A. P. (1953). Geriatrics, 8, 215, 267. 

 ViscHER, A. L., and Roulet, F. C. (1952). Virchows Arch., 321, 652. 



DISCUSSION 



Tunbridge: We have had a tremendous contrast in approach in the last 

 two papers, and I am quite certain a lot of swords will be unsheathed 

 now to attack the problem of ageing. I would like to challenge Prof. 

 Medawar about one statement. In his mention of wrinkling he suggested 

 that there are two processes: the possible change in the vulnerability of 

 the structure, and constant use. I should have thought, biologically, 



