154 



noted in persons undoubtedly centenarian, may, by the very fact of 

 their being many, lend some probability to it. Taken singly, they 

 have little weight, their evidence is cumulative. Perhaps even 

 standing alone, the diminution of the mass of the blood and of the 

 blood-making organs — the spleen and the mesenteric glands — may 

 be considered as some proof of great age. 



The dilatation of the aorta and the outgrowing of the prostate 

 are frequently, yet not constantly nor exclusively, noticeable senile 

 changes. The pathological alterations which the heart, lungs, liver 

 and kidneys had undergone impair any evidence which might 

 possibly have been based upon their weights. 



The pancreas I did not weigh, through inadvertence 1 . Many 

 other omissions will be noted in my account of this examination ; 

 some, however, such as that of the weight of the body, were owing, 

 not to inadvertence, but to other causes, which I need not specify. 



1 I may say that M. Durand-Fardel is wrong in saying (1. c. p. xxi), ' Le pancreas 

 est, suivant Canstatt, de toutes les glandes celle dont la metamorphose atrophique 

 s' observe le plus souvent chez les vleillards* Canstatt's words are, ' Atrophische Ver- 

 wandlung in hohen Alter nicht selten ist.' (Tome i. p. 69.) This correction may, I 

 hope, save some one certain trouble, which M. Durand-Fardel's erroneous statement 

 caused me to undertake. 



