SCIENCE SIFTINGS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume L, Issue 6, 8 February 1923, Page 54

SCIENCE SIFTINGS

By "VOLT"

Quick Walking at Fifty. Men should not talk about being too old at forty, said Sir James Oantlie to a physical training class for business men of over fifty years of age at Mortimer Hall. “Don’t be afraid of your hearts,” he added. “They will stand more disease than any other organ in the body.” Sir James recommended all men to walk at the rate of 110 paces a minute, saying the exercise would make them totally differand people. The exercise which would comprise the course were the same as those used by the Chinese 5000 years ago. A Restorer of Youth. Dr. Burchardi, said to be one of a very limited number of exponents and practitioners of a new system of surgical treatment for the preservation and even the restoration of youth, arrived in London on Saturday morning from Vienna (says the London Catholic Times for December 9). *■ In an interview with a press representative, he said he had come to London as a practitioner and not as a missionary. If invited to do so, he would be quite prepared to lecture to scientists and practitioners on the new treatment, but his immediate purpose was to perform a number of operations which he had undertaken. Asked what he claims to be able to achieve, Dr. Buchchardi said, “I do not pretend to accomplish miracles, but I do claim to bo able to preserve youth, with its capacities and its enjoyments, in the case of suitable subjects.” He and others (he said) had been engaged in experiments for something like twenty years, and those experiments had been made on animals. Actual treatment of men had been in operation for about three years, and of women for five years. “In all the human cases operated upon,” he added—glandular transformation in the case of males and a secret X-ray treatment of females not one has been a failure. All the cases are still enjoying very great benefits. Under this treatment remarkable transformations have been effected. Sunken cheeks have been raised, looks restored, apd general air of physical and mental alertness produced. Youth has been restored both to face and figure.” Dr. Burchardi said: “Much depends upon the state of the patient. If the body is quite worn out, of course I can do nothing, but if it is still susceptible to the operation I can hope to preserve the qualities of youth for periods of from five years to twenty years. It depends largely on the state of the patient in each individual case.” The identical operation which he intended to perform in London (he added) had recently been performed upon the ex-Kaiser. _ In some cases, ivhenjrnen are attacked by premature senility, the operation has not only effected marked improvement in appearance,” Dr. Burchardi said, “but there has been wonderful restoration of mental and physical faculties. Even in cases of men of 65 to 70 years of age the operation has been followed by rejuvenation of appearance in every respect and mental and physical capacities have been largely restored. A ‘ new lease of life ’ has been given, as you express it here. “Striking changes in the outward appearance of women patients have been effected. Signs of weariness and weakness have disappeared. The operation on men is quite simple and harmless. Only a local anaesthetic is necessary. After the operation the patient should stay in bed for about three days and be kept reasonably quiet for eight or nine days. For men there is actual operation for glandular transformation, but the X-ray treatment has been found more suitable for women.”