Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-19
That Elixir of Life Sticks to
Three Out of Twenty.
IT AFFECTED 10 A LITTLE.
Four of Whom Felt No Lasting Re-
lief Nor a Bit of Injury.
THREE SILLY ON DISTILLED WATER
While Three other Old Men Say They
Actually Feel Renewed.
NOT A VERY PROMISING STIMULANT

As most of the experiments going on in
the country to test the new alleged "elixir
of life" have sprung up as emulations OF
the Pittsburg physicians investigations,
there is probably no keener interest any
where in the results attaching thereto than
right here at home. Among the most active
OF these experimenting agents has been DR..
Chevalier Q. Jackson. A reporter, learning
that the doctor had reached clear conclu-
sion, based on no less than 20 experiments
with the elixir, called upon him last even
ing for an outline thereof, which he gave,
about as appended:
"Having permitted the publication Of
my preliminary experiments with the
Brown-Sequard elixir, it is but right that
the public should know the final outcome.
1 administered the solution to 20 persons
who presented themselves to be expert
mented upon, the last injection being made
a week ago Saturday-that is, on August 10.
OF the 20 people, ten felt better and stronger
than before, some of them remarkably so.
Out of these ten, four have relapsed to their
former condition, neither better nor worse;
and the other six still
REMAIN SOMEWHAT BETTER
than before the dosing. In three of these
six the improvement was evidently due in
part to imagination, as injections of dis
titled water made them feel better; but in
the other three the slight permanent i'm
provement was probably due to the so-called
g.I 1o1% al e.
whom 1 gave the preparation. But
in them, considering the small amount
of benefit and considering the fact
that they were but three out of
twenty, and considering also the
risk incurred, / do not consider it a very
available remedy in its present state. Of
course, should it prove on more extended
experiment to be beneficial in a particular
class of cases, the active principle contained
in it could be isolated and freed from de-
composab.e organic matter. 1t would then
be absolutely safe to use; as much so as
pepsin, which is animal matter.
'Iu my hands the injections have pro-
duced no absolutely i'll effects, no abcesses
or the like, and no more local irritation
than that accompanying the injection of
morphine, or any other drug that is used
hypodermatically.
"The patients benefited say they do not
care whether their betterment is due to the
elixir or to imagination, they are better,
and that is
ALL THEY CARE ABOUT.
The patients not beneited say they
wouldn't care if they were gifted with suffi-
cient imagination to improve their cases
somewhat.
81 have received an enormous number of
communications asking if L would admin
lister the preparation, and what 1 would
charge. Now, as have not the time to an
swer all these correspondents, wish you
would state in your paper that have made
no charge to anyone for administering the
preparation, as the thing was only an exper-
iment, and that l do not think the prospects
OF good accruing warrants my devoting to it
the large amount of time the proper carry
ing out of the experimental details necessi-
tates. Therefore, shall have to refuse to
administer it to applicants, though 1 shall
repeat the injections in those already in
jected if see any prospect of their being
benefited by it, provided, of course, they
wish it done.