Читать книгу Old Age Deferred. The causes of old age and its postponement by hygienic and therapeutic measures онлайн

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On the other hand, in much younger persons, perhaps under thirty, who are suffering from complete or partial degeneration of the thyroid gland, the hair very often turns gray; so much so that Hertoghe considers this to be one of the typical symptoms of such a condition.

The falling out of hair, or its turning gray, after acute infectious diseases or after grief and sorrow, may have some connection with the well-known changes in the ductless glands, especially in the thyroid, in these conditions. This is made quite clear by Sajous’s demonstration that these glands collectively govern the activity of general oxidation, that is to say the vital process itself.

As we have previously mentioned, a moustache or whiskers may grow in women suffering from disease of the ovaries, just as after castration or the climacteric. It is also very interesting that a premature grayness often occurs in cases of insanity, and can be attributed to the frequent changes in the thyroid and sexual glands in these conditions.