The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-08-04
DR.. BROWN SEQUARD.
His Theory of an Elixir of Life
Much Criticized
BY NOTED NEW YORK PHYSICIANS,
such as Dr.. Sornus and Or. Sayres-Hammond
Pronounced Humbug- Analogies of
Medicine FAVOR the Partisan.

Especial TO TIE NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Dispatch.l
NEW YORK, Aug 3-The New York physi-
oians are slowly and reluctantly giving their
attention TO the remarkable claims made by
Dr. Hammond of Washington, and DR.. La
Place now of Philadelphia but lately Of Paris,
and assistant in the laboratory then scene
OF Brown Seguards experiments. There exists
here the strongest feeling against Hammond, and
mis- advocacy of Brown-Seguard's alleged discov-
cry has added no little weight to it, at least in
dhe minds of Gothan's physicians. They do
not hesitate to denounce Hammond in the most
dnmeasured terms; indeed, they are more can
did as to that physicians unftness as an au-
shority or witness to any medical question than
shey are willing to express an opinion upon the
merits of the elixir. However, the rejuvenating
essence is to be given q fair trial in this city.
Dr. Sornus, the celebrated specialist,
cold your correspondent yesterday that he
nad proposed To fully test the value Of the new
remedy for old age by employing the same
methods as those employed by Sequard in Paris
and Hammond in Washington. 81 have several
patients at the Bellevue hospital who are GER
sainly in need OF the elixir" said the doctor
dryly land they shall have the full benefit of all
she good il can do. have ordered sheep free
from all blemiSh to be slaughtered for me To-
morrow / shall treat the material obtained in
such way to insure sceptics conditions,
aud after having ground 1t IN q mortar, shall
lass it through hitter Just as hammond mas
lone am performing these experiments for
nv own satisfaction. At the uttermost they |
Jean do no harm.
I On the sublectg' askeu your correspondent.
fEWeIL we have discussed II good deal among |
ourselves and have not come to any satisfactory !
conclusion We are aghast at the statements |
ma lie by Dr. Sequi l. II he iSlright with regard
10 mis- facts and conclusions, then the whole |
practice of medicine, not TO say the complexion |
Of society," is changed What the consequences |
of such a revelation would be can hardly be |
imagined Dr. Sequard with his hypodermic |
syringe will become more potent than ever was |
the gentlemanly Mephlstopheles OF sCIoethe VINO |
transformed the elderly DR.. FauStuS into the |
seductive sutton of gentle Marguerite. What |
the world will come TO with all its elderly men
of sixty transformed into young men of thirty, |
viii be a matter for interesting SpeculatlonS."
"Well, doctor we have Jew IN San Francisco
who will be very much interested in what you
IA re to say about their chances"
ssVeIl can only say that nothing really can
be said until the experiments have been tried.
DR. Hammond says he has tried them, and those
xIo rely on Dr. Hammond Will give weight TO
kts Testimony. DR.. HOXlay is perfectly right IN
"a :, contention that the analogles OF medical
science are all Sequard's way. 1t has only been
recently discovered that cadayer IS capable OF |
generating the most deadly posion. This poison |
Or poisons is now known to man. small
portion OF n corpse IN a suthclently advanced |
kate of decomposition is fatal 10 life. There is |
kleh a ching, then. an an active principle Of |
NTH, why not differ
.HThe effect Of Sequards active principle OF |
life is not as q food, but a stimulant; or per-
hans rather an alternative, If anything. 1t must |
Oe a specific 10 which the entire circulatory and |
nervous systems responds. We know that |
heart which is in the last stages of decay Will |
respond for awhile TO the action of digitalis |
The infusion OF animal fluids may have |
such similar specific effect upon The
q a thus assist the circulato-y system. But as
have said before, the whole thing Is so new
and startling. that speculation Is IDLE. ana that
the facts will prove everything or nothing.
When my invalids at Bellevue have been through
+he mill perhaps shall be able TO tell you more
about it"
distinguished physician in America, was next
visited at his residence at 2S5 Fifth avenue,
seated at his table enjoying an after dinner
cigar he cordially rece we'd the Examiner man.
You do well TO say alleged discovery, said the
eminent physician cheerily. The allegation Is
about all there IS OF 1t. BrownSequaId Is now
quite an elderly gentleman and am afraid that
90 has allowed the wish to be father TO the
Thought. AS for Hammond, he knows better,
but there is q cool $1,000 week in II fer him"
sI quite agree with my Philadelphia conferes
hammond is fraud. he knows that by
Aiopting this sensational scheme TO cheat nature
AS his own all the old men IN the country VIII
come to him to be made young, ana he Will
charge them accordingly. He has taken large
contract but what does he carey No, don think
much OF the so-called discovery; don't know
that can put entire trust in Sequard IS judg-
ssfent l knew him well when in New YORK, and
r3member him as very cratic This tendency
q mis- must have increased with age, ana then
p s surroundings of late have all conduced TO
he same end. place the supposed efhcacy OF
rhe elixir upon about the same plane as Chris
tan science You must become rejuvenated by
q process OF imagination, If at ALL and mind
you, by no means concede the regeneration of
However, DR.. Sayre, when asked by your cor
respondent what he thought OF the reasoning OF
DR., LOOMS and DR.. La Place, thought emin-
emily sound
saifhe analogles Of medical science are IN
t,oubtedly on SeQuard's side, but" he reiter-
:,ted. 1T by no means follows that what may be
Ia 1t Is a big distinction, and a conservative
physician in this age Of humbugry will bear that
fact in mind. 1 concede that the injections viii
be administered without danger to patients.
agree that the vital essence OF animals may be
available for the purpose of man. But what
Of ihaty When man is bleeding 10 death we
can give him plain salt water and have good
eff ct about the same If we had transfused
.sb ut the same amount OF blood. But they are
ali temporary expedients. 1 believe there is a
Nm I 70 the mending process Of this poor human
Hojy Of ours, and / think DR.. Sequard's ideas far
n eed this limit. No more old age? Tut, tut, I
Sssh 1t were so, but there is no such good luck
IN store for us No, DR.. Brown-Sequard will
never nor will DR.. Hammond, in my opinion, be |
able TO prove his claim 70 be the Ponce De Leon !
OF modern science"