This “amazing discovery” was, according to the Los Angeles paper, the culmination of “five years of continuous study” and had only just been revealed by Rahtjen.
“Dr. Rahtjen has for years been working silently in a bio-chemical laboratory in Pasadena, surrounded by microscopes, scales, test-tubes, acids, alkalis, reagents and all the accompanying stage settings that spell bio-chemical science.”
All of these wonders might still have been a closed book to the public had not “friends” of Dr. Rahtjen brought the matter to the attention of the Examiner.
“Dr. Rahtjen yesterday, with the usual reserve of the ethical scientist, was disinclined to talk of his work until publication of it in a scientific journal.”
Fortunately for a palpitating public, the Los Angeles Examiner “was able to learn the essence of his study” and pass the information on. It seems from this newspaper report that Rahtjen first made his extracts from the glands of goats and sheep but these extracts “were found to be too strong.” As a result “Dr. Rahtjen is now using the glands of specially selected Mexican bulls and cows.” The male patients who are “weak, uninterested in life, unable to concentrate in thought” are given the extract of bull; the female patients who are in a similarly deplorable condition receive an “injection of the cow gland extract.”
We have not yet learned whether the Los Angeles Examiner has deprecated Dr. Rahtjen’s use of Mexican bovines. Remembering the attitude of the Hearst papers toward all things Mexican, one may look for the suggestion that Mr. Rahtjen use 100 per cent. American bull.—(From The Journal A. M. A., Nov. 26, 1921.)
SODIUM CACODYLATE IN SYPHILIS
To the Editor:—I was much interested in the study of this subject by Dr. H. N. Cole (The Journal, Dec. 30, 1916, p. 2012.)