The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1889-09-10
BRoWN-SEQUARD SENSATION.
What the So-oaIIed Elixir is, and What
IL is Not.

called his new Injected fluid an elixir OF
lie, Il Is clear that he is not sure but il
almost deserves the name. He recog-
nized Il a. probably the fact that certain
processes and changes in the human
body are irresistible and finally fatal. In
infancy the bones are gelatinous and
flexible; but gradually the proportion Of
lime salts increases and the amount OF
cartilage decreases, until, in old age, the
bones are brittle and perishable This
change goes on steadily, before and after
puberty. So there is a gradual change
IN the structure Of brain and nerve tissue,
and q muscles, until they cease to per
form their functions and 4 person dies OF
Old age. As one passes from childhood
- maturity, certain mental or physical
powers are developed, and then decay or
are entirely lost. There is the regular
and apparently irresistible course of
things by which 4 period OF protected
weakness Is followed by period OF
p2rentage and strength, and this again
by impoJenCy, physical and mental de-
eeneracy and death. DR.. Brown-SeQuard
does not assert that this process can be
permanently arrested by any new-dis-
covered elixir OF life; but he does suggest
and believe that as the strength and
active viEOr OF the years OF mans
freshest youth come IRON the absorption
into the blood Of fluids then produced,
which have 4 special stmulative power
upon al parts OF the body, so by the in
PRODUCTION, simultaneously, into the sys-
TEN OF cid men OF a solution Of fluids
taken iron young and vigorous animals,
this lost force can be restored to the cir
cuiation. and the old vigor very much
recovered. Il is as If fresh yeast were
o-r into dough, fresh malt into the stale
product OF the brewery. He believes
that substances which once came natur-
allv inso the blood, and thus stimulated
the vigorous action OF the whole system,
can be srtifcially restored to the circula-
tion, and VIII then in a measure in
visor8te the action OF muscles and brain.
Alter 4 series OF experiments on old
dogs. rabbits and guinea-pigs, made by
injections such as have been indicated,
Dr.. Br0vn-SeQuard, who Is seventy-two
years old. began experiments upon him
sell. he saws that, rs a result OF them,
he found himself greatly improved in
strength. He had been able TO work in
his laboratory but half an hour without !
such fatigue as compelled him to sit |
down. He had been compelled, by |
fatigue, after light dinner, TO retire to |
his bed. but was troubled with inability |
x sleep. he could 20 upstairs only |
slowly and lablriously. The day after /
the first subcutaneOus injection he found |
that a radical change had taken place, /
and that he could work in his labora |
tory. standing Tor several hours. After !
hard experimental work in that attitude, /
continued for three or four hours, ne /
was 2ble 10 20 home, eat his dinner, and 1
then write on 2 difficult subject for two |
Or three hourS-a thing he had not done |
Tor twenty years. He found himself ,
running upstairs, which he had not done /
since he was sixty. That he greatly in /
creased IN vigor during the weeks since
he bean taking the injections, May
18th. ne could not doubt. He continued
them with good effect up TO June 5th.
Then. 10 reverse the test, he ceased /
using them, and for four weeks no
marked change occurred; but after July 1
Sd and Tor ten DAYS he witnessed almost |
=
ness which existed before the first injec- /
ton.
Whether the effect came from any
specific property in the fluids injected |
into the circulation. or was purely the /
result OF what Is called auto suggestion
Or imagination. and vet without hypnot-
ism. : the question TO be decided. DR..
Brown-SeCuari speaks with some reserve,
49, 2s-.- la'sar-a- +f,.F 4hnrsa u q raol
sueciic power in the fluid taken from the
active glands OF the young animals en-
plCyei IN these experiments. He quotes
the results OF experiments made upon
three old men by DR.. Variot, who has
used the fluid with success on several
Old men. but failed when, with similar
words Of encouragement he has used I
onlv pure water. The experiments have,
during the past week or two, been re-
peate3 IN a number OF cases in this
country. and with varying success, some
operators declaring that the results have
been al that Or. Brown-Sequard des-
cu5es. and other that no appreciable
effects have followed. The latter con-
clusic1 seems probable, and 1t Is vet lar
from certain whether anything more
than Imagination must be accredited
1Ti-L cle good results recorded.
But this NAV be regarded as probable,
thar nothing more than mere stimulus
can be expected % any such injected
Elii- We remember when injections of
blood we're first suggested and tried
what wlu-erlU. results were expected;
bur thew have not followed. The trans
fusion o5 blood i rarely tried with any
god results Il Is ridiculous 10 speak OF
this - an elixir OF life" There Is no
elixir Of life. and Or. Brown-Sequard
wocId never pretend 10 have found enc.
al he would say Is that he has found
something which stimulates the nerve
centres and empowers them 10 do GER
tain amount OF work. No medicine will
reverse the course OF nature. II Will
not replace the superiuOus phOsphates
of the bones with cartilage. Il viii not
restore the lost power and functions OF
bodily organs. Il can only for time
stimulate % activity, q stimulation
which i - likely 10 shorten as 1t Is 10
p-ololg life. There has been so much !
that Is unscieutific and foolish written on
the subject during the past few weeks;
50 much that might give wild hopes to
people whose powers are enfeebled, that
we have thought it well to give the facts
OF their best side, so that all that is
claimed can be clearly known, and to
Indicate what We see needs 10 be again !
and again repeated, that
neither god OF love nor god Of skye
Tan doe said she. that which cannot be ,