New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-08-15
TESTING THE ELIXIR.
DIR. LOOMS AND DIR. BYRON FOLLOWING
BROWN-SEQUARD.
sEvEN PATIENTS UNDER TREATMENT-THEY
DECLARE THEY HAVE BEEN BENEFITED
THE PHYSICIANS DO NOT BE-
LIEvE THEM.

THE PHYSICIANS DO NOT BE-
LIEvE THEM
The physirians of this city have not, up 10 the
present time shown that interest in DIR. Brown
Sequards elixir which has been felt by those Of
other cities A few OF them, however, have been
making experiments since the first announcement
of the properties of the reiuvenator. This has
been the case at the Loomis Laboratory, which is
an annex TO the University Medical College in East
Twenty-sxth-st The experiments will be con-
tinued for two months at least as the operators
expect 10 make valuable tests, the results Of
which will be published in medical journals
The experiments have been made by DR.. LOOMS
and his associate, DR.. Byron. They have lnocu-
lated already seven patients, and Will experiment
with fifty or a hundred others before making full
statements about the efficacy Of the elixir. Dr
ByrOa said yesterday that yet they did not feel
that they had arrived at results worthy OF any
definite conclusion
The elixir which the physicians use is made
from parts of a sheep freshly killed and distilled
water. When eady for incubation the duld
which was shown TO the reporter by DR.. Byron
ia OF milky-white color and not unlike milk in
consistency 1t is injected into the skin under
the thigh, which, with the arm, is considered the
best place for the injection. About thirty drops
of the liquid are used The needle or thread OF
the syringe through wrc~ tbs fluid is injected Is
about two inches long To- insertion however
is not painful the dosar sai@ and little or no
lameness had resulted from the injections. Only
one man had complained thus far.
Although the majority of the seven patients
who have been inocuated profess to feel much
better the doctors do not consider their declarations
to be trustworthy. While the patients are not
aware that they are receiving the BrOwn-Sequard
elixir, they were induced TO submit 10 the treat
ment by being assured that it would beneht theh'
Hence, the doctors think that imagination mas
much to do with their supposed improvement.
The patients operated upon have been, with one
exception, aged men. The young man is deal
and the injection has as yet not increased DIS
powers of hearing The DOCTORS of course, DO
not pretend TO say what the final enect
upon his hearing Will be. Further expert
mentS may be of avail in relieving MN
On the other hand, an old man who Is aiiiicteu
with asthma, who has had only three injections,
declares that he now breathes with much greater
ease than before his first visit to DIR. LOOMS.
lie has a confident belief that he will recover en-
tirely. The other patients, the majority Of whom
suffer from diseased lungs, are equally sangulne
since the needle has been placed in their desh.
knowing that will power and imagination have
great influence upon such cases, the PHYSICIANS
are unwilling to accept the statements OF thelr
subjects without the present popular grain OF SAT-
They have therefore, endeavOred TO learn th,r
true condition by examination with the proper
instruments. They believe after these lnvestea-
lions that the patients have msJudged or ms
interpreted their sensations They are influenced
the physician, think, like the participants IN the
faith cure They will not give statement 1aV9t-
ing the elixir until they are convinced oil us
efficacy -,
Medical science, DR.. Byron says cannot tel a
pror wheter il is valuable or not. tNpenmen'S
alone can demonstrate this fact lie believes
that many of the published statements OF mlracu-
lous and instantaneous cures are untrue but
Dr. Byron says that an injection OF the uuld,
whether il cures or not. can at least do no hain
Care in the operation must be used, however:
Only skilled physician, accustomed 10 the use OF
antiseptics should undertake the operation. IN
furious results might otherwise follow IN an
solute necessity is the choice Of a perfectly
healthy animal. Unless assured Of the eonolf on
of the animal the fluid should not b. made.
The experiments al the laboratory have already
lasted more than a week. Two of the seven
patients are inmates of Bellevue. The Others are
dispenSary patients.
Ii was said at Bellevue yesterday TINT no cN-
perimentS had been made there as the chlel
musicians were at present absent from town.