SCHEME TO END VICE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21278, 3 September 1932, Page 2 (Supplement)

SCHEME TO END VICE

TESTS ON CRIMINALS INJECTIONS INTO GLANDS REMARKABLE RESULTS CLAIMED An amazing plan to end crime by means of injections into the glands of criminals is, it is stated, be ; ng developed in the laboratories of science. Two famous surgeons in Britain have been engaged for a year in performing operations on hundreds of habitual criminals. Already it is claimed, tho experiments have been marked by great success. Professor A. M. Low, the scientist, revealed some of tho secrets of tht-3e experiments to a Sunday Chronicle representative on July 16. "It is qui*?, possible," he said, " that in five years' time there will not be a singlo criminal left in tho world, and prisons will be turned into cinemas. It was discovered many years ago that imperfect glands alone were responsible for every form of crime, robbery, vice and violence. A man overburdened, or lacking in thyroid glands has inevitably an unbalanced mind." The two famous surgeons whose names Professor Low knew but coulr*. not reveal havo, ho asserted, achieved remarkable results. In almost every caso tho criminals were found to be either deficient in, or to havo over-developed glands. _ Excessive growth of the thyroid glands was, it is stated, found in most of those accused of murder or violence, while men and women whose pituitary glands were abnormal were in the swindling, burgling and petty thieving class. After the investigations had been made the two surgeons asked each of the crimi-

nals if they would agree to experimental operations being made on their glands. In every case consent was readily granted. The surgeon 3 then set to work on these, probably the most sensational operations of the century, carrying out between 40 and 50 a day. " Five of the worst and most dangerous men with over-developed thyroid glands were the first to be operated upon," Professor Low said, "a specially-prepared fluid being injected. The results were startling. The men, who had been found guilty on numerous occasions of brutal and cold-blooded crimes became changed men after a few weeks. " These men soon lost their tendency to act on mad impulses and began to "live normal, sober lives. They are all working steadily at various jobs which were found for them, and their employers are full of nothing but praise for their good work and behaviour." Every other operation carried out 'was successful, added Professor Low. This, he said, seems to prove conclusively that j crime will soon belong to the dim past.