Testicles for the eternity

Charles Edouard Brown-Séquard was a professor of experimental medicine in the School of France and a legendary figure in the European scientific circles. Author of more than 500 articles about investigation and considered one of the big pioneers of the endocrinology, in the spring 1889 began going of mouth in mouth the news about that had begun to work with a type of extracts endocrinos and that at the beginning of the summer, in June, would report of his discoveries in the meeting of the Society of Biology of Paris.

When Brown-Séquard began his conference the emotion in the auditorium was in his icy moment. The figure of the endocrinologist, who was measuring meter ninety, had to be a depositor. And it started:

I have always thought that the weakness of the elders owed, partly, to the decrease of the function of his sexual glands. I am 72 years old. My natural vigor has declined greatly in the latter 10 years.

It kept on describing how there had been drooping both his sexual vigor and his physical condition. Brown-Séquard told that on May 15 it had crushed a testicle of dog's pup, it had strained it and the remaining liquid had been injected into his leg. Some time after it had done the proper thing in two occasions with the guinea pigs testicles. But the bomb was coming next. After the injections, his physical force had increased in a spectacular way. And he confessed: "I have rejuvenated 30 years and today ‘I could do a visit’ to my young wife».
Impressive. The source of the eternal youth was placed in the testicles of the dogs and the guinea pigs. So that then they say.

The impact of such revelations was immediate. And not only for the prestige of the scientist, not either because it had proved it in his body. Bearing in mind that the life expectancy of the members of the Society of Biology was 71 years, it is no wonder that there was anything any more than pure scientific interest in his conference.

The newspaper Matin it initiated a campaign to collect money with the laudable end of creating an Institute of the Rejuvenecimento. Brown-Séquard surrendered in body and soul to so great project. As if of a serial production factory it was talking each other, the bull testicles were entering on the one hand and the eternal youth was going out for other. In the history so many people never had so much interest in the sweetbreads. And not precisely to eat up them.

But the time was in charge of putting the things in his place. A Viennese newspaper commented with sarcasm: "The conference must be considered to be one it proves more of the need to retire the teachers who have come at the age of 70». Brown-Séquard happened of a scientist was respected to turn into the laughing stock of all and, in spite of the whey of the eternal youth, his wife left him for a younger man.

Let's not think that it operated of bad faith, so at least that he did not even want to take advantage of his, let's say, ‘discovery‘. Victim of the effect was a placebo.