NEW YOUTH FOR WOMEN

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17436, 7 April 1931, Page 12

NEW YOUTH FOR WOMEN

SCIENTISTS' DISCOVERY REJUVENATION THEORY NO ORAFTINC A sensational scientific fact is revealed by Mr. 11. (i. Wells in his latest monumental work, "The .Science of Life," compiled in collaboration with his son, Mr. Of. P. Wells, and Professor Julian J lu-xley. Mr. Wells discloses that one of the female sex-hormones has been isolated, nil achievement of the greatest scientific importance which, he foresees, will be put to use to rejuvenate the whole leminine system. Mr. Wells adds that experiments on female rats have proved successful, and that rapid developments may be expected. He states that if the male sex-hormone could be isolated and injected or given in tablet form, gland grafting, as now employed by Professor Steinach, of Vienna, and Dr. Voronoff, tho monkeygland expert, would he unnecessary. In the chapter of his book entitled "The Growth of the Individual" Mr. Wells deals extensively with the various methods of gland-grafting employed to restore vitality, which he criticises as at best a temporary setting back of Hie clock. MOUSE AND ELEPHANT "If we could discover the reason why a mouse gets through its life ]0 time's as quickly as an elephant we should, perhaps, have a method of prolonging life by simply slowing it up, which would he more effective (ban merely tinkering with the glands as they give out," he writes. Discussing Dr. Voronoffs monkeygland grafting operations, Mr. Wells recalls that the great majority of his patients have been men. "Much less has been done with women," lie writes. "Now that one at least of the female sex-hormones has been isolated, we may perhaps be able to use it for rejuvenating the whole feminine system. "Already a preliminary experiment on female rats has proved successful, and we may expect events to move fast." Hormones are those substances which, on absorption into the blood, influence the action of tissues and organs other than those, in which they are produced. Their chief function is their stimulating action. HEALTHY MIDDLE-AGE Insulin, the name applied to the internal secretion of the pancreas,. is a hormone which was first successfully isolated in 1921. "Even if the work on rejuvenation," writes Mr. Wells, "has not opened up any rosy vista of perpetual youth, it holds forth promises of a reasonable extension of healthy middle-age." Monkey-gland grafting, he asserts, cannot possibly alter any of the patient's characteristics, bodily or mental, in the simian direction. "It docs no more than provide a convenient sourco of maile sex-hormone. Kvery time a man or woman takes a thyroid tablet he is using thyroid hormone prepared for him by a sheep; but he does not become sheep-like in consequence. "If tho male sex-hormono could he injected or given in tablet form, grafting would be unnecessary; hut until it has been chemically isolated, grafting is one of the few available methods."