210 Heredity and Child Culture 



as the satisfactory limit of human life. Nat- 

 uralists tell us t"hat the length of life in the 

 lower animals averages five times the period of 

 the growth of their bones. By analogy, this 

 would mean that the human animal should live 

 to be a hundred. 



I believe we may build up a future genera- 

 tion that can reach the century mark if only 

 the developing period can be more carefully 

 cultured. The roots of most degenerative con- 

 ditions, and many of the infections, have their 

 inception in the early years. Thus, by more 

 carefully nurturing this period we may make 

 the proper start for a long and vigorous exis- 

 tence. 



Life may be divided into three spans, — first, 

 that of development ; second, a longer or shorter 

 period of physical stand-still; and finally a 

 short one of degeneration and decline, — corre- 

 sponding to childhood, middle age and old 

 age. Each period requires special manage- 

 ment, but a right start is the most important of 

 all. I have elsewhere considered the needs of 



