The New York herald., 1922-09-03
Experiment Is Not 'Reju-
venation,' but 'Regenera-
tion,' Authority Ayers.
PERFECTLY HARMLESS
Worst That Can Happen Is
That Nothing at All Hap
pens, Doctor Says.

Judging by paper on the Steinach
operation, by DR.. Harry Benjamin of
this city in the August number of
American Medicine, the public under
stands little Of it as yet.
The medical profession has yet some
distance to go before 1t has clear
understanding OF the subject. accord
ing to the article. Medical men, espe-
cially In Europe, are deeply inter-
ested.
DIR. Benjamin finds that the effects
OF the operation are many and that
the result most frequently referred to
in connection with the operation is
more or less casual, and sometimes not
noticed at ALL His personal experience
(is based on eighteen cases, in sixteen
OF which he operated, using the technic,
recommended by Steinach himself and
employed in Berlin and Vienna, in
which cities DR.. Benjamin studied the
subject last year.
Ojccting to the use OF the word
"rejuvenation'' and substituting for
preference either Regeneration or
restitution" as better defining the most
commonly observed effect, DR.. Benja-
min asserts that increase in bodily
weight and a decrease in the blood
pressure are most frequent and more
general changes resulting
Grows New Hair.
''It seems to me-" he writes at one
point. that in the Steinach operation
we really have a method TO reduce high
blood pressure in a way that could not
be achieved by any other means.
I'm cases of normal and low blood
pressure we have likewise observed
further slight lowering, but with SUBJ
seqnent increase"
Very interesting observations have
been made by Prof. Steinach in Vienna
and Drs. Peter Schmidt and Levy Lenz
In Berlin" he writes later. "and ] had
the-opportunity OF verifying these OBJ
servations, namely a new growth OF
pigmented hair several months after the
vasoligature. There can be no
doubt that just as well as Steinach and
others have observed the regrowth Of
hair in animals similar regrowth took
place in certain very responsive cases
in men. Schmidt. for instance, de-
scrbes a case Of man with thin gray
hair which a few months after the
vasolgation took on the appearance Of
mixed growth, the new hair coming out
in the original color. But let me re-
peat that such are exceptional cases.
We have no right to promise any pa
tent undergoing the Steinach C7aration
a success of that sort"
The experiments performed on rats.
guinea pigs and dogs, he said, brought
much more marked results than the
treatment of human beings. lie con-
tinued:
.'The more complicated human machine
offers, naturally, many more obstacles,
SO that the actual 'rejuvenation' doubt
lessly observed in animals has only
rarely been ascertained to the same ex-
lent in the case of man. 1t would be
interesting to know whether inferior
races would offer greater possibilities"
Hearing Is Recovered.
There is no proof, the doctor said.
that any harm has ever been done
through the Steinach operation and the
worst that can happen is that nothing
happens" that the operation fails. He
goes on to give the results achieved In
eight cases. holding that the other cases
His first case was that of an unmarried
clerk of 5S years suffering from mental
depression lack of energy and "all in
moss" Following the operation he gained
twelve pounds In weight. his color be-
came healthier. his appetite improved
and the depression disappeared. There
we're no other results.
substantially the same effects were
shown In the other cases. with varia-
tions. one man, college professor, re-
gaining, to an extent, his hearing. In
all Instances a restoration OF energy was
marked. and whether there were dis
orders OF one sort or another a distinct
Improvement was noted. In closing his
article DIR. Benjamin writes:
Il am drawing my final conclusions
from these cases, but let the reports
speak for themselves. I would want to
observe a greater number of cases frst,
and especially for a longer period. 1t
seems, however. that the results corrc-
spond on the whole with those reported
by Steinach, Lichenste>n Peter Schmidt.
Levy Lcnz In Europe and Chetwood.
wolbar-t and Michel IN this country. In
~ rgr Sx there Is distinct ondocrine
influence In the sense of a stimulation
ana restitution. No harmful effect has
resulted anywhere, and / would like to
cali attention to the fact that n specific
sexual stimulation Is not evident, but
appears only as part of the general
regenerationr