The Influence of Genetic Constitution 



Adult progeria (Werner's syndrome) was first described by 

 Werner (1904) in four sibs. It bears some resemblance to a 

 delayed infantile progeria, occurring after growth has been 

 wholly or partially completed. The subjects are short and of 

 unusual appearance. The symptoms begin in the third or fourth 

 decade, with the development of baldness, greying, skin changes, 

 cataract, calcification of vessels and occasionally of tissues, 

 osteoporosis, hypogonadism, and a tendency to diabetes (Thann- 

 hauser, 1945). This seems in general a more promising source of 

 analogy with normal senescence than does the infantile progeric 

 syndrome. Extensive bibliographies of progeria are given by 

 Thannhauser (1945) and by Thomson and Forfar (1950). 



Other less generalized conditions with rather similar sympto- 

 matology have been described. 'Senile' change may be limited 

 to the extremities (acrogeria) . The main interest of these con- 

 ditions is in providing examples of mechanisms which may 

 mimic the deteriorative changes of human old age. The con- 

 ditions are all rare, and no parallels have been described in 

 laboratory animals. In infant progeria, pituitary growth-hor- 

 mone deficiency appears to play some part, though the condition 

 differs markedly from straightforward dwarfism. The deficiency 

 of oxyphil cells in some reported cases bears a resemblance to 

 that which follows castration (Wolfe, 1941, 1943). 



Sudden 'senescence* in adults, a great standby of the nineteenth- 

 century dramatist, is an uncommon endocrine, or possibly 

 hypothalamic, reaction to severe emotional shock or accident, 

 which, although not genetic, can conveniently be considered 

 here because of its superficial affinity with progeria. In the 

 interest of literary effect, the preliminary phase of sudden bald- 

 ness is usually not stressed. The hair may fall out within twenty- 

 four hours, to be replaced when it grows again after an interval, 

 by white or structurally defective hair — impotence, depression 

 and cachexia are described as concomitants. The condition is 

 recoverable, and appears to have more connection with Sim- 

 monds' disease than with senescence. A case was reported by 

 Greene and Paterson (1943) in a railwayman who fell from a 

 locomotive and suffered head injury and severe shock. A few 

 cases are alleged to have followed intense fear, as in battle. The 

 pituitary may well be the endocrine chiefly responsible. 



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