LONGER LIMIT OF LIFE

Taranaki Daily News, 16 October 1930, Page 9

LONGER LIMIT OF LIFE

NEW STRENGTH FROM GLANDS. VORONOFF’S THEORY EXPLAINED.' The possibility, of the extension of human life to 120 and 140 years by the .grafting of glands from healthy young monkeys to the human body, is .visualised by Dr. Serge Voi’onoff, famous French surgeon, whose application of the Brown-Sequard theory of using animal secretions to supplement deficiencies in human beings has brought him world-wiue fame, says the San Francisco Chronicle. “The chimpanzee, gibbon, and gorilla have glands the same as those of a man,” Dr. Voronoff said. “They are what we know as ‘superior monkeys, their blood being the same as that of human beings. Of course, it is not possible to get men to sacrifice their glands for other men, but even if it were possible, we should prefer the glands of superior monkpys, because their ancestry is guaranteed to have been free of evil habits and social diseases.

“The interstitial glands control other glands. More than that, they supply motive power to the mind and body. Therefore, when they have. become useless, their stimulant secretions cease to flow into the arteries and the moral effects of increasing age march on.” The doctor pointed out that the grafting of glands would not succeed, in making time turn backwards and turn aged men into youth, nor would it restore fecundity. t “In the interstitial glands,” he said, “there are two elements. One is for the life of the race; the other for the animation of the individual. By grafting interstitial glands, we merely revise and renew the energy of the individual. --

“I am often asked whether I can make men live for ever by continuing the operations. '' This I do not know. When a patient becomes old, I can merely graft again.” The gland specialist declared that most people who consulted him and had lived well-rounded lives felt no desire to regain their youth. “Such dreams are absurd,” he said. “To think old people wish to. regain their youth for the mere physical joy which comes of being young is erroneous. Even those who have that wish are seldom actuated by the desires that are generally ascribed to them. No more than 5 per cent, of those who come to me to be operated on do so because they 'wish to make appeal to members of the opposite sex.” The actual operation of transferring the gland from the monkey, to the human being is not an expensive one, according to the gland specialist, [he chief cost, he eaid, was the purchase of the animal from which the necessary odad was obtained. : “I do not know,” he said, in conclusion, “whether grafting will enable, us to prolong life beyond the limits assigned to man by Nature, but I am cei tain that it will enable us to reach these limits. Every year, in every country, the death is recorded of people who have reached the age of 100 and over. Those of tirs who die earlier at 70 and 80 do 60, not because we have exhausted all the normal possibilities of life, but because wc have become old and feeble and unable to combat with the illness or illnesses which| cause our death.