Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 August 1889 — IS IT PERPETUAL YOUTH? [ARTICLE]

IS IT PERPETUAL YOUTH?

A DISCOVERY THAT PROMISES REMARKABLE RESULTS. Experiments at Various Points With Varying Results— Is Youth to be Renewed from Old Age?' — The recent alleged discovery of Dr. Brown-Sequard, of Paris, of an elixir of life has became almost a craze in the experiments that are taking place In all parts of this country. Dispatches from Cincinnati Monday say: The office of Dr. Longfellow, on Ninth street, was again crowded Saturday, over sixty persons presenting themselves as subjects. The doctor also received a large number of letters and telegrams from-* number of surrounding towns and distant points. Lonenbeck & Werner’s drug store has come into prominence from the fact that Professor Werner furnished the mixture used by Dr. Longfellow. The store was Monday thronged throughout the day and the Professor was kept busy answering queries. Many of the callers were impelled by curiosity, but a large proportion had a direct interest in the discovery, either suffering some ailment themselves or having afflicted relatives or friends. Several well-known physicians also interviewed the chemist and left orders for the elixir, which they intend to use. Some of the doctors had engagements for Sunday and were greatly disappointed when they learned that they could not obtain any of the medicine before Monday, as the slaughter houses would be closed Sunday. There was an astonishing demand for the portions of the sheep used in the experiments, *and the butchers say they are unable to meet the orders. The elixir is also expensive, as much trouble and experience are necessary to its proper preparation. The prevailing price for a small bottle now is S 5.

Out of the eight subjects treated, Friday, the doctor heard from five. Three were much better and two could note no change. Several leading physicians called on Dr. Longfellow and closely interrogated him as to the plan he pursued in his experiments. The doctor is very particular in urging that the elixir must be used within an hour after leaving the chemist’s hands, as there is danger of unpleasant results if partially decomposed mixture is injected. The elixir decomposes very rapidly. -—-■ ■■■■•■■— At 9 o’clock Sunday morning the medical staff of the county infirmary, by previous arrangement, went to Huttonbauer’s butcher shop at Seventh and Walnut streets. In their presence a number of lambs were killed. The selected organs were taken while still warm to the hospital where they were macerated by the doctors and the resulting juices filtered through cloth. Tho fluid was then hypodermically injected into nine subjects—five men and four women. These patients were selected from the oldest and most infirm inmates of the institution. No perceptible results were manifest for several minutes. Later, however, some of the subjects reported a slight exhiliration,while others complained of feeling worse. The change either way was not of much consequence, and the doctors decided that the tests were not at all satisfactory. Columbus physicians condemn it. Dr. A. E. Evans said: “I think it a fraud. It is good enough to catch old fools who are a great deal more foolish than young fools. Brown-Sequard at one time stood high in the medical world, hut I think he is now in his dotage.” Dr. J. W. Baldwin, editor of the Columbus Medical Journal, said: “It is sometimes unsafe and imprudent to criticise adversely what are called ‘discoveries;’ at least the critic will occasionally find himself sadly in the lurch and the laugh turned against him. Butin the history of medicine we can hardly recall an instance of a widelyheralded and much-vaunted discovery in Which the discoverer had not been compelled to eat much humble pie. BrownSequard is fiorw three-quarters of a century old. At one time he was an acknowledged leader in medical science; but for twenty- years he -has- bees lagging superfluous on tho stage, and it seems a pity that his friends have not long since placed him where his senility would not render him ridiculous. That he is honest in his convictions, is doubtless true; but so was Burgeon with his gas, Perkins with his tractors and Thompson with his lobelia. Of course he will find followers for a time. There are scores of men in the profession, as everywhere out of it, who are always seeking for some new thing; a number of glowing reports will be published, a good many abscesses will result. A few deaths from blood poisoning will occur and then the discovery will pass into history as another example of professional credulity. Tho quacks are already, at least in some places, taking advantage of the discovery, and the demand in the restaurants for “lamb fries” will doubtless increase. But the whole thing is very humiliating to those who had believed that medicine was becoming more of a science and less of a medley of ignorance, superstitution, and credulity.” A lady of Lima, 0., reports that she has been cured of the Opium habit by the elixir. Two subjects of Louisville are said to have been restored to health. Mrs. Wilson, Yoe and Duncan, of the Hospital College of Medicine, have been expert menting with tho elixir prepared aooordiug to the Brown-Sequard formula, as given jby the Lancet. With a rheumatic patient |7O years old, they have obtained almost complete relief. He feels young and reiuvigorated. Dr. Robert Porter has tried the elixir in tho case of an asthmatic paralytic, who was not informed of the treatment. The patient has partially recovered from the paralysis, and has new energy and strength. A successful experiment is reported from Connersville, on the person of Mr. Green, aged 05, and a cripple from chronic rheumatism contracted during the war. So stiff wad crippled was he that he had not taken off his coat in four months, aad could not grasp a Bpoon in his right hand. The elixir was taken from the or gans of the sheep, similar to Dr. Longfellow’s experiment in Cincinnati. TC»e ani- ■ ■*: -r =

upon the theory that a doctor should try his own medicine, injected a dram in each of his own arms first, in less than 70 minutes after the animal was killed. At 7 o’clock in the presence of several physicians, citizens and representatives of the press, the experiment, was made upon Mr. Greer. A drain was injected in each arm above the elbow and One drain in the calf of the left leg. He remained quiet twenty minutes without noticing any sensation, excepting his face was flushed, He then said that the muscles of the fingers seemed to relax. He was handed a knife and could hold it without pain, a thing he had not done for months. Your reporter handed him a tend pencil and tried to take it away from him, but he grasped it too tightly. In forty-five minutes he could take off his coat and put it on without pain. His family knew nothing of the experiment, and when he went home he astonished them by walking in as spry as in youth, and taking off his coat in regular Sullivan fashion. He says he feels no' rheumatism, except in the joints of the fingers of his right hand. He walks around and can shake hands, while Sunday he could not even touch anything. Dr. Henry, of Bank Lick, Ky., tried Brown-Sequard’s elixir, compounded by' himself, on an old negro, who died in terrible agony, of blood poisoning. The negroes there became so incensed that Henry was compelled to flee to save his life. Dr. Kemper, of Muncie, experimented with wine of cocoa instead of .the elixir. The result seemed the same as though the elixir had been used, and the claim that the good results reported are largely due to the imagination is probably proven. One of the patients under the same doctor, in whose case the elixir was used, is down with the erysipelas as a result. An Indianapolis scientist has been making microscopic examindtions of Brown-Sequard’s elixir, and discovered, while experimenting, Saturday last, that the fluid was alive with countless bacteria, although but three hours had elapsed since the elixir was prepared.