The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-08-22
The Elixir of Life.

We published last week full accounts
of the experiments of Drs. Brown-Se-
guard and Hammond with a new dis
covery to prolong life or rejuvenate old
age. Since then similar experiments
have been made by DIR. Palmer, of In
dianapolis, Ind, and DR.. Longfellow, Of
Cincinnati On the 9Th the latter con-
Guided a series of experiments with the
new discovery. Tests were made ON
dozen subjects. The first two patients
were Thos. Album, So years old, and
Fielden Weir, colored ex-slave, 70 years
of age. The latter was bent and Grip
pied with rheumatism, and Album had
been famed by erysipelas. The liquid
was injected in the arms and legs. When
both subjects returned in the evening
they could walk with ease, and to show
his rejuvenation Weir kicked with both
feet as high as his head, ran about the
room and danced. The celebrating eff
feet on the white man was equally as no.
ticeable. DIR. Longfellow reported that
in all the persons he administered the
fluid the effects were similar except one.
That was in the case of man 80 years
old, in full health and in no need of a
tonic. He experienced slight sickness.
At Lima, Ohio, other experiments have
been made with the elixir of life, with
equally satisfactory results to those here
tofore reported. A confirmed female
opium eater, aged 80 years, who was
helpless, had the preparation injected
into her arm, and in short time expe-
rienced great change. She moved
about actively, went to bed without
taking any opium, slept soundly, and
lost all taste for opium. A man afflicted
with rheumatic govt was greatly re-
lieved, and moved about as supple as a
youth. Other cases are reported in
different parts of the county, and all of
them successful.
What is to come out of it all, no one
can tell. The possibilities of discoveries
in science are indefinite. What another
generation will witness cannot be fore
told. Our country is still in it's infancy
in this respect, and especially in discov-
cries in electricity.
An objection has been urged to the
elixir. in that if it should prove to be
what some think it WILL and if it is APP
piled to the war pensioners, so as to pro-
long their lives to an hundred years, it
will draw pretty heavy on the public
treasury? That rs a consideration which
Il I, Of J,o 10 no
pay the taxes, but it will not arrest the eff
forts of the scientists.
The Petersburg IadeG-Appe0l agrees
with a Southern correspondent of the
New Y ork Herald, in his lamentation over
the decadence of Southern statesman
ship. 1t is true we have not the com
manding talent in Congress that at one
time reflected the intellectual attain
ments of the South. This may be traced
to the political methods which prevail
more than to the absence of brains. Our
ablest men prefer other pursuits; are
Identified with material enterprises and
prefer such channels of endeavor to mix
ing in the political cess-pool. Dema-
gogues and place-hunters rule both par
ties in the South and North, and so long
as this is the case the halls of Congress
and the Legislatures of States will show
second-class men all the time. There
would be the introduction of plenty of
brains in the politics of the South and
North both, if politics were more decent
andssssthe people would take control of
their own affairs.