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

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In advanced old age the preservation of the sentiments toward the opposite sex, which allows us to presume the presence, and not yet extinction, of an internal secretion of the sexual glands, is often found in combination with a high intellect. This is also proved by the example of Goethe in his 83d year, for in his old age his intellect would have been creditable to a man of 30. When he was over 81 he astonished his audience by the uninterrupted current of his ideas, also the extraordinary richness of his inventions.^[109] Commenting on the above, Moebius, in an interesting biography on Goethe, says: “From the physiological standpoint the astonishment evoked by the works of this old man is almost greater than that about his juvenile activity.” He finished the second part of “Faust” when he was over 82. As Metschnikoff says: “It is love that was the greatest stimulant of the genius of Goethe,” for it is well known that Goethe was an ardent admirer of the fair sex. When he was 74 he was passionately in love with Ulricke Lewetzow, who was still in her teens. He danced like a youth when in her company, and it was at this time that he wrote to his son that he had never, up to this, felt so well in mind and body. He wanted to marry the young girl, and the Grand Duke of Saxe-Weimar asked in Goethe’s name for her hand; but the mother was not willing to allow a marriage between persons of such divergence in age. So much was Goethe in love with the young girl that his disappointment contributed to develop a serious illness (Eckermann). Even when he was much older he again renewed his relations with Miss Marianne Young, and was then, to a certain extent, consoled for his disappointment over Miss Lewetzow. He preserved his admiration for the fair sex until his death, and even in the closing day of his life in his delirium he called out, “Look at that beautiful woman’s head with dark curls on a black background!”^[110]