THYROID INSUFFICIENCY 57 



working power in later life more than all other 

 causes put together. We sign our death certi- 

 ficates as to the cause of death " senile decay," 

 "paralysis," "angina pectoris," " Bright's 

 disease," " heart degeneration," " apoplexy," 

 " softening of the brain," but they all, or very 

 nearly all, boil down to disease of the arteries. 

 Senile decay before 80 years of age, or I 

 would 'almost say 85, should be regarded as 

 premature. We are proud of our civilization, 

 but are we entirely justified in that pride ? 

 Though we have not, like our first ancestors, to 

 live night and day armed against attack and 

 death, yet the struggle for existence has only 

 changed its character, not its intensity. They 

 lived, fought, and died, and took their fate more 

 like animals, free from worry and care ; while 

 we, at any rate those in the thick of the fight, 

 have to be full of care and thought if we wish 

 to survive or to succeed. It is this constant 

 nervous strain that, allowing little or no rest, 

 keeps our nerves and arteries hi a state of tension. 

 To meet this, civilization provides luxuries, food, 

 wine, and pleasures that we take in excess, 

 hoping to soothe our tired brains to forgetfulness 

 and rest. To the nerve strain is thus added the 

 physical strain of more food than we can properly 



