Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-07-11
DEFEATING DEATH.
A French Doctor Claims to be Able to do
so-Dr. Brown SeQuard Says
He has Discovered an Elixir by Which He AS
serts His Life has been Ex-
tended Ten Years.
New York World.

me medical world Is excited by the
statement of Dr.. wn-Sequard, the
great Frer CHI specialist III nervous dis
eases, who declared before the Biological
society of Paris, of which he is the presi-
dent, that after twenty years of expert
menting he had discovered a true elixir
of life, substance that would rejuven-
ate the old and make strong the feeble.
He contended that if the living cells of a
young and vigorous beng could be in
jected into another where the vital spark
was low his organism must vibrate in
unison with the fresh life. Many years
ago the doctor advanced views of the
same character i'll lecture before the
medical faculty of Paris, and has since
been engaged in experimenting on the
subject by training old and WORKOUT an
imals. Finally, as he states, he reached
such perfection that he tried his elixir
upon himself with startling results.
the doctor is now seventy-two years
old and presumably subject to the weak
nesses and infirmitles of age His revi-
taliZing substance, he explained, was
derived from certain organs or glands
taken, still quivering, from live animals
and reduced at once to pulp in mortar
with distilled water From this COM
pound he extracts an essence which he
uses as hypOdermic injection.
The doctor administered to himself
cubic centrlmetre with a hypodermic
syringe, Just as morphine is injected.
He declares that the day following this
experiment, after two injections of this
vital essence, he felt himself trans
br1
hour work, standing up in his labora-
tory, exhausted him. Now he declares
he can study three hours uninterruptedly
without the least repose. His appetite
has increased, his sleep is sweet and re-
freshing, his stomach performs its func-
lions admirably and his intellectual labor
is performed with wonderful ease and
clearness. His feelings, also, have been
youthful. DR.. own-Seqdard declared
that the dose he took was equivalent to
ten years regeneration
Medical men in New York are skepti-
cal about the doctor IS alleged discovery,
and smile incredulously when asked what
they think of it. While they admit that
all things are possible, they are far from
ready to give credence to the story as it
comes from France, or to accept the
statement without further proof than has
yet come to hand.
Dr. Edward F. Spitzka, himself a spe-
cialist III nervous diseases, said last night
that he could not believe the great
French doctor had yet descended to mere
quackery though the announcement
sounded strangely like it.
CDR. Brown-Sequard is a wonderful
man - he continued, ''aud it is possible
that he has made some discovery that
will be useful TO science and the world. -
cit is certain that changes occur in
animal tissue at the moment of death
that are of a subtle, chemical character,
and are accompanied by the formation of
chemical bodies which, undoubtedly,
would have powerful effect on the
nervous system of another person if in
troduced into his circulation. Certain
emotional conditions produce changes in
the secretions. Anger, for instance,
produces such change in the saliva as
to render it venOmous.
cit must be demonstrated, however,
that the chemical bodies he. extracts are
of a constant and unvaryIng nature, and
their effects on the human system uni
form in effect. That was one of the
mistakes Pasteur made.
''This is an age of voIuptuaries, and
new stlmulants for decayed vital forces
are in demand, and a wide and most
profitable field is open for the rankest
quackery, as is evidenced by the many
remedies advertised for the weak and
which find enormous sales. If the gregg
French doctor has found remedy tthk
will make the old young or the5MeaE
strong, he has found what willS5esAfaP
more valuable than all the dise98eriS in
electricity combined. - - H.
DR.. A J Meuer was as inATedulOus as
the others, but admitted the story was an
interesting one.
''We are as anxious in this Nineteenth
century - he said, "to find the foun-
tain of youth, or its substitute, as ever
Ponce de Leon was. But [ am not one
of those who believe there is any special
virtue in quivering gland. 1t will be a
great day for the world when the Won
derfuI panacea comes that will do away
with so many human ills, only L fear new
troubles will come to take the place of
the old. -
Dr. Landon Carter Gray was very
skeptical as to the discovery and felt
more like laughing at the story than ac-
ceptIng it seriously just yet. Though he
was ready to be convinced, he would not
be interviewed on what he thought might
be merely piece of French nonsense.