Rejuvenation and the prolongation of human efficiency : experiences with the Steinach-operation on man and animals / by Dr. Paul Kammerer, with an introduction by Dr. Harry Benjamin.

  • Kammerer, Paul, 1880-1926.
Date:
[1924]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Rejuvenation and the prolongation of human efficiency : experiences with the Steinach-operation on man and animals / by Dr. Paul Kammerer, with an introduction by Dr. Harry Benjamin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    to endow one with eternal life. In Europe, it was Count de St. Germaine with his “elixir of life”; Graham with his “celestial bed”; Boerhave with his “Gerocomy,” which already had been practiced by the old Hebrews and Romans and which is based on the theory that old men sur¬ rounded by youths would be rejuvenated simply by living in an atmosphere of youth. And last, but not least, there is Ponce de Leon who searched Florida for the Fountain of Youth. There was an inexhaustible number of quacks and unworldly dreamers until, finally, during the second half of the nineteenth century, the inner secretion of the ductless glands was discovered by Claude Bernard and Brown-Sequard, which en¬ abled the latter to establish the theory of rejuve¬ nation on a sufficiently founded basis for scientific application. The relation of Brown-Sequard to Steinach is about the same as the relation of Lamarck to Darwin. Lamarck and Brown-Sequard are both forerunners; the first within the realm of evolu¬ tion, the latter as regards the idea of rejuvenation. Both of them were on the right path, but they did not attain the consummating phases. The finishing touch, the last unassailable, provable evidence based on methodical research, was still missing. In short, there always existed a flaw or imperfection to prevent a definite victory and, as it was left to Darwin to attain this consum¬ mation in regard to evolution, so it apparently