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We thought the Commentary "William Osler and The Fixed Period"¹ presents a fascinating look at "our ideas about old age" and the "usefulness" and contributions by seniors. We too disagree with Osler's view that men older than 40 years are "useless"! As internists we take care of a significant elderly population, and we always promote ongoing "educational" exercises for mental fitness and physical exercise for healthy function. We offer our patients some historical examples of the valuable contributions and exploits of seniors beyond Osler's suggested retirement age of 60, such as astronaut John Glenn, who at age 78 was a crew member aboard the Space shuttle Discovery in 1998.

The Ancient World valued older men for their wisdom and experience. "Among the earliest Romans, as a rule, neither birth nor wealth was more highly honored than age."²

The generals of nearly forgotten military endeavors provide us with outstanding examples . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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William Osler and The Fixed Period: Conflicting Medical and Popular Ideas About Old Age
Laura Davidow Hirshbein
Arch Intern Med. 2001;161(17):2074-2078.
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