Page:Fielding - Sex and the Love Life.pdf/82



The phenomenon of a "change of life" is not commonly associated with the man. This event has been considered quite the exclusive experience of the woman. There is no question, however, that between the ages, approximately, of forty-five and fifty-five, man enters another epoch of life, and that every side of his personality reflects in some degree the change that takes place.

Dr. Bernard Hollander, the prominent English neurologist, remarked that "Nervous symptoms are also common when men appoachapproach [sic] middle age, and, like women, undergo the 'change of life.

In the majority of cases, these changes occur so gradually that they are hardly perceptible. Nevertheless, there are profound constitutional changes taking place, which react both on mind and body, second only to those that occur at the epoch of puberty.

It might be said that this period is one of preparation for senescence—as puberty is one of preparation for the cycle of vigorous manhood which normally follows. Senescence, however, does not necessarily mean that beginning with the sixth decade, man is doomed to a profitless and uninteresting final span of life. At least this is not essentially so, although economic conditions are not generally favorable to the welfare of a great majority of people who have passed their prime.

The period of a man's life after sixty, whether it happens to be long or short, offers many possibilities for rich and vital experience, in some respects surpassed by no other stage of life. The important thing is to maintain sufficient con-