Health and Illness I
GA 348
2 December 1922, Dornach
IV. The Thyroid Gland and Hormones
Dr. Steiner. Gentlemen, someone has handed in a written question concerning the thyroid gland.
Question: The thyroid gland can become enlarged and when it does a goitre is formed. Since goitres may exert pressure on the windpipe and thus cause a problem, operations have been performed on this gland, whose function is unknown. Soon after surgery, however, a strange phenomenon was observed. Persons whose whole thyroid gland had been removed exhibited both physical and mental changes. Growth stopped, limbs became enlarged and perspiration ceased. There also was evidence of some mental retardation. When the cause for this was realized, one sought to remedy the defects by feeding the unfortunate persons thyroid glands taken from freshly slaughtered calves or wethers. The result was astonishing. All negative effects subsided. But these results were short-lived, and within a few weeks the trend was reversed again. The patient's stomach also rebelled. Then sections of thyroid glands were introduced into the throat. Again, the results were amazing, but signs of deterioration reappeared.
Injections made with preparations from thyroid glands were not much more successful. An English firm has achieved surprising results with certain tablets even in cases of cretinism. A short interruption in their use, however, reverses the process of recovery. What is to be expected with the continued use of these tablets?
Dr. Steiner: Gentlemen, if you take into consideration what we have already discussed here, you will be able to understand this matter fairly well. You see, until about seventy years ago, until about the middle of the nineteenth century, no particular significance was attached to the thyroid gland, which is located here in the front of the neck. It was thought to be like the appendix or some other organ that had had a function in man's ancestors but was no longer needed. In short, no special importance was attributed to this gland. Then it was noted that its degeneration, with the formation of a goitre, had a specific effect even on mental faculties. Its purpose and pathological enlargements were studied in cretins, that is, retarded and mentally deficient people. One can observe that in certain geographic regions persons are both retarded and afflicted with goitres. It is known throughout Europe that in Halberstadt the retarded population has goitres so large that in some cases they extend over the shoulders.
Now, it was thought at first that if pathological enlargement of the thyroid had such a pronounced influence on the mental faculties, surgical removal was indicated. This is how they think today. A great preference is shown for surgery because significant progress was made in surgical methods in the nineteenth century; this has become the most important aspect of medicine, that most deserving of recognition. So the first thought is to remove those organs that apparently have no significance. This is the procedure followed in the case of the appendix. It is surgically removed if it shows any pathological symptoms.
This manner of thinking ignores something I have repeatedly emphasized here. You will recall that when you observe man in his totality, you often note that something is present in certain processes of the child that has effects much later on, even in advanced age. Ordinary medical opinions are concerned only with what is demanded at the moment. Therefore, steps are taken that seem most beneficial at the given moment, but no attention is paid to the future course of events. It is difficult to make an overall judgment about these matters because, if a patient is not operated on when he exhibits symptoms of appendicitis, for example, he may immediately succumb. Then, of course, the doctor is held responsible. The point is to investigate other than surgical means to solve these problems. You are familiar, perhaps, with the fad these days of letting youngsters go about as much as possible with bare feet and legs, even up to the knees. Well, this habit contributes to the degeneration of the appendix! Of course, once the appendix has become inflamed, it must be removed, but when you see matters in a larger context, you know how to prevent such problems from arising in the first place.
Now, it is correct that the thyroid gland has great significance and important implications for the whole human organism. As I have said, people have been aware of this since the last half of the nineteenth century. They know that a malfunctioning thyroid does not allow the use of the body for mental activities in a normal way. Everything referred to in the question actually occurred. If a portion of the gland was allowed to remain, the patient did, indeed, make some improvement. He was relieved of the enlargement and his mentality was not adversely affected. But when the whole thyroid was removed and nothing of the gland remained, the patient became more retarded than before. Naturally, it was learned from this that even a diseased thyroid gland has significance for the expression of man's faculties of soul and spirit.
The secretion of the thyroid has been administered to patients in a number of ways. Incidentally, the fluid contained in a gland is called a secretion. Injections of thyroid substance could result in an increase of thyroid fluid in the body, but this method led to no lasting improvement. The organization of the body did not seem to respond favourably to what was being administered. So far, the best results have been obtained by administering thyroid fluid in the form of these tablets, which are absorbed by the digestive system. Introducing the substance of the thyroid into the stomach and hence into the blood stream permeates the body with the secretion of this gland. This remedy proves that the body needs such a secretion. It shows, too, that when the thyroid is functioning properly, its secretion passes into the blood in minute amounts and penetrates the entire body. If the thyroid secretion is introduced into the stomach rather than directly into the body, it also finds its way into the blood stream. But you understand, of course, that administering thyroid by way of the stomach is effective only as long as it comes to circulate in the blood. If the tablets are discontinued, the amount of thyroid in the blood will decrease. So persons who receive thyroid substance in this manner must take it continually. Then it does remain effective.
It can be said that this does, indeed, offer concrete proof for materialism because we see that we only need to administer certain substances to man in order to increase his mental faculties. The same is true when the substance is manufactured within the body, as is the case with thyroid secretion. By thoroughly checking into all the experiments made in this area, however, we discover something else.
Thyroid glands are quite large, as you may know, and are located in the front of the neck. Within them are many small glands, to the right and left, that are no bigger than the head of a pin. They secrete a substance that is produced also in other parts of the body. Similar, but not identical, substances are secreted by small glands in various parts of the body. Though it differs from the substance produced in the small glands of the thyroid, such a substance, for instance, is secreted in the adrenal glands. Tiny glands like these are found in other parts of the body as well. In other words, the body contains traces of substances secreted in various parts of its organization. These substances are called hormones. Such a hormone that permeates the body in minute amounts is also contained in the tiny glands within the thyroid.
You may picture it this way. If you take a fish out of its watery environment, it will die because it cannot exist in air. Likewise, these hormonal glands, which resemble minute living organisms, can survive only within the thyroid, the real purpose of which is to provide a place where they can function. When the thyroid is surgically removed, the body is deprived of the hormones it produces. If these minute glands are removed with the thyroid, the prognosis is negative, but if enough of the thyroid containing them remains, then things don't look so bad. Enough must be left to permit some of these small glands to continue to function. When the entire thyroid gland is cut out, the hormone producing glands are also removed and that is harmful. Less radical surgery that doesn't remove them all is successful. Preferably, then, just parts of the thyroid should be removed; the hormonal glands should be allowed to remain. But, if the secretion from the missing amount of thyroid substance containing these glands is replaced with tablets, so that the blood receives what it needs from them and also from passing through the remaining glands, the patient's general state of health may be expected to improve. The matter is really rather complicated, and much depends on how the thyroid secretion is produced.
When an experiment is performed on a wether in which only part of the thyroid is removed, leaving behind the part containing the hormonal glands, then it is found that the secretion does not have the medicinal value it would have had the entire gland been removed. When the entire gland is taken, however, the hormone produced by the hormonal glands combines with the thyroid secretion, permeating the blood of the thyroid, and an effective extract can be obtained. But, if only parts of the wether's thyroid is removed, leaving the hormonal glands behind, the thyroid extract will be less effective; then, such tablets will not work as well. So you see that not everything depends on the thyroid gland as such. Its purpose is only to nourish the minute hormonal glands, which, as you can imagine, were not discovered for a long time. Being so small, how could they have been noticed?
From all this you can understand that man's well-being simply requires certain substances. You need only recall that his mental faculties are altered also when he drinks wine, for instance. Cheerfulness is engendered by drinking wine but, later, things are likely to change. The next day his mood is usually quite the opposite of cheerfulness! So it is with this substance that is contained in the hormonal glands and that are required in minute amounts throughout man's body. He makes use of this substance, and animals need it, too. Much can be accomplished by working with such substances in the organism.
Well, in recent times, this has led to a more attentive examination of these delicate substances. What is the basis of the efficacy of such substances as those secreted by the hormonal glands? Gentlemen, you can understand this only when you realize that the body is constantly subject to processes of deterioration. It is a peculiarity of the organism that harmful substances are forever being formed in it. The substances secreted by the hormonal glands neutralize the destructive effect of these poisons that form in the body. It is a most interesting phenomenon that the processes of life consist in man's constantly poisoning himself, and then continuously counteracting the effects of the poisons by means of these little glands placed within his system. Take the case of the adrenal glands. If those little hormonal glands work properly, man appears the way you all look. But when they malfunction, his complexion turns brown, a yellowish brown. Such an affliction is called Addison's disease, because a Dr. Addison was the first to observe it. We once had such a patient who was a member of our society and who was looking for a cure here. This brown discoloration and darkening of the skin is caused by certain harmful substances in the body that are not neutralized by those substances normally produced in the adrenal glands. Likewise, mental retardation is caused by a lack of the substances normally produced in the hormonal glands of the thyroid.
When administered in tablets, hormones that act as antidotes are transmitted to the body, and their effects have led doctors to pay closer attention to this entire sphere of problems. It is interesting that this question also arises in connection with Steinach's Theory. Since this theory is somewhat related to our topic, it will be worthwhile to consider them together. Steinach's theory is just about ten years old now. About ten years ago, a professor in Vienna sent a report of his experiments to the Academy of Sciences. Now known as Steinach's theory, the report is based on the fact that the body is continually permeated with hormones, the products of minutely small glands. It is interesting that the body seems to be constantly out to poison itself by its organs, but tiny glands located everywhere in the system produce antidotes. Starting at the neck, we have the hormonal glands of the thyroid, which enable us to speak rather than to stammer, and to connect thoughts with our speech. The hormones produced in the adrenal glands prevent us from turning dark and they ensure our attractive light complexion. Also, hormonal glands of the reproductive organs emit small amounts of delicate fluid. These glands, of the gonads, are found in animals and humans, both male and female. They are only slightly developed in the child, but when he or she reaches puberty in the fourteenth or fifteenth year, they become fully developed. In the case of the male, the gonads or testes are located in the scrotum. They contain small hormonal glands whose secretion penetrates the whole blood circulation in minute dispersion.
Steinach's experiments have demonstrated that this particular hormone has the characteristic of suppressing the aging process. Scientists have been concerned with aging for a long time, and long before Steinach's theory became known, a physician-scientist in Paris named Metschnikoff published some interesting things about the phenomena of old age. His point of departure was that the body continually poisons itself. He emphasized the fact that poisons are constantly accumulating in the intestines and that man ages from the effect of the microscopically small animal- or plant-like creatures that produce them.
Now, Steinach concluded that the aging process, this quite natural and normal process of deterioration, can be counteracted. He conducted his experiments mainly with rats; the most important tests were with rats. In cases like these, it must be said that experiments with animals are not completely applicable to humans. Not everything that occurs in animals, especially in rats, can be applied unreservedly to man. After all, the organism of the animal is different from that of man, and I must say, even if one has a low opinion of the size of the human being when compared, for example, with the vastness of the universe, yet a difference does exist between the physical organism of a human and a rat.
Most of the scientific results were obtained, as I have said, through experimentation on rats, which are particularly suitable for such tests. You see, the normal life span of the rat is about two and a half years, and before it dies it exhibits quite pronounced signs of aging. Rats are quite agile and aggressive creatures, and when they age, they turn dull and listless. They lose their fur in some spots and become bald; in other spots, their fur turns bristly and ragged. Also, they lose their appetite. Their age is shown particularly in that, when males are locked together in a cage, they don't fight but keep to themselves, and when an aging male rat is placed with a female, it shows no interest in her.
Of course, one has to be careful with such experiments because rats are susceptible to all kinds of disease. They easily become tubercular and frequently become infested with tape worms or other intestinal parasites. Also, rats are subject to infectious diseases. Therefore, if a rat exhibits the symptoms I have described, it must be determined whether they are caused by such diseases or are truly signs of old age. So to conduct such experiments with rats one must start with quite a number and constantly examine them for intestinal parasites. Those with coarse fur or loss of hair due to illness must be eliminated. Eventually, you will be left with a few rats that are truly old.
Steinach experimented primarily with male rats. The aging males that were listless and had bald spots, that had lost hair and were no longer interested in the females, were treated in the following manner. When not breeding, the gonad of the male rat is found above the scrotum. This gland constantly discharges fluid into tiny canals. It can be pictured like this (drawing). Minute canals lead from the gonad into the spermatic cord, from which the semen is discharged. The hormone of the gonad passes through this canal and is mixed with the seminal fluid, which becomes permeated with the hormone. When the animal is young, this gland produces the hormone that passes through these canals, or vasa deferentia. From them, it enters the spermatic cord, so that the semen ejaculated by the male that impregnates the female contains this hormone. It is also diffused throughout the body. The principal part of the hormone flows into the spermatic cord, while the rest is distributed in minute amounts throughout the rat's organism by the blood.
Let us now take the case of a rat that is getting old and feeble. The feebleness and slackness of the body is indicated in that it can no longer control its excretory functions, having lost control over them. You may have heard that this happens to people who are executed. This is what happens when the body becomes slack. When the organism ages, too much of this hormone flows into the spermatic cord, and too little is retained in the body. The body then contains the toxic substances of advanced age because the gonadal hormone is lacking and therefore not effective as an antidote. This explains why the rat's organism ages in the first place. It ages because various toxic substances produced in the body come to permeate it.
When a child reaches puberty much of the hormonal substance passes into the body. This is not the main point, however. Because the organism is young and vigorous, it can retain the hormone it receives and allow the surplus to be discharged.
Now, when the rat grows old, too much of the hormone is discharged. So Steinach tied off the tiny canal with a small thread, thus closing the passage from the gonad to the spermatic cord. Since the hormone now could not leave the gonad, it entered the body through the blood. You understand how that worked, don't you? When you shut off a pipe, the fluid backs up. He closed it off here (indicating drawing), made a ligature, as it is called, and thus caused all of the hormone to penetrate the body. The rat became lively again and even grew new hair. When it was put with females, it showed sexual desire and attacked them, though it could no longer impregnate them because the operation had rendered it sterile. This was really what happened.
You see, it is actually quite simple. The aging body lets too much hormone escape, but because of ligation it is retained and the aging process is reversed, even if only temporarily. It is quite interesting to observe how these male rats become agile and youthful again after the ligature is made in the spot I have indicated. These ligatures can be made in a variety of ways. The way I have just drawn it is a method that is rather complicated because an operation must be performed to reach this spot. First, an incision must be made on the outside, then the thread must be inserted around the canal to tie it off. Experiments have been performed in other ways, too. For example, the testicles, particularly in the case of humans, were destroyed with X-rays, thereby holding back the gonadal hormone. In short, all of these tests are based on somehow retaining the hormone in the organism. You see here the similarity with the thyroid gland. In it, too, it is a question of getting the hormone into the blood. It is the same with the gonadal hormone, except here it is done by closing this canal when a person has become incontinent in old age.
Steinach has successfully continued these experiments over the past ten years and today it can indeed be asserted that what was proven to occur in rats applies also to a certain extent in humans. Such experiments have been made on humans and similar results obtained by using ligatures or by introducing the hormones of a young person directly into the gonads. This has been done with injections or by injecting directly into the testicles the seminal fluid of a young animal. In other words, all kinds of ways have been tried to reintroduce this hormone into the body. Results have indeed been attained, and although they have been generally somewhat exaggerated, they cannot be denied. Experiments were, in fact, performed not only on rats but also on old people who had become feeble; they then regained some youthfulness. Of course, the effect doesn't last too long. The human body can live only a certain number of years and it is not at all certain yet whether the life span can be lengthened by these means. A man can be somewhat rejuvenated but, at present, one cannot lengthen his life. It is feasible, however, that the life span, too, will eventually be lengthened this way.
You understand, though, that all these matters also have their negative aspects. It is true, is it not, that some people are poor sleepers? If one treats young people who do not sleep well with sleeping pills of opium or morphine, they will certainly sleep better, no doubt about it. One can't argue against it, but the fact is that if sleeping pills and related chemical medication is administered repeatedly to young people, it will, after a while, weaken the body. It will have an increasing need for the medication and will come to be unable to live without it, thus becoming addicted to it. Then, in later life, one will have to deal with a person who is not in full possession of his health. So it is much better to try to cure insomnia by psychological means, combatting it in a more inward way. If the patient is encouraged to think and concentrate on one word, he will gradually gain the strength from within to fall asleep. This method is much better because, this way, man does not weaken himself. The effects of sleeping pills are uncontested; it is indisputable that a person sleeps better with them, but it should really be considered from another aspect. One should try to induce sleep from an inward, mental direction. Of course, this method is more difficult and is related somewhat to education. If children are raised correctly, they can easily be induced to get the right amount of sleep every night. Then later in life people needn't be given sleeping pills if they have been treated properly in school.
These rejuvenation methods can really be compared to taking sleeping pills. Yes, gentlemen, the following is of particular interest. I have told you that Metschnikoff had already dealt with the symptoms of old age; as yet, Steinach's experiments were unknown. You may be surprised to learn that a thoroughly materialistic doctor recommended that his patients read things like Goethe's Faust! Really, they were told to read books like Faust; this was supposed to rejuvenate them.
There is much truth in this recommendation. If in old age one has an interest that completely occupies one's soul and spirit, something that fills one with enthusiasm, this will make one youthful. The meaning of “enthusiasm” is close to that of “inspiration.” Something spiritual enters the mind. Otherwise, the term used would not be “enthusiasm” but “embodiment,” which connotes a material process. When addressing the public, even materialists do not say, “Let us be full of embodiment!” Though they deny the spirit they nevertheless say, “Let us be full of enthusiasm!” Being filled with enthusiasm is indeed a source of rejuvenation. Of course, one cannot prove this in rats! It is a source of rejuvenation in humans, however, and if observations in life were made in this direction, one would discover that, depending upon a man's health and stamina, whatever rejuvenation could be brought about would be attained much more easily if he could be allowed sufficient time to engage in some mental activity. Mental or spiritual activity has the peculiar effect of holding together and keeping strong the glandular walls. If a man is interested only in superficial matters all his life, his glands and vascular walls tend to become slack more quickly than if he has an interest in spiritual and mental activities. If he has been educated correctly as a child, and then given enough time to permeate himself rightly with spirit, he will not need such ligatures because he will maintain his strength on his own and his body will retain what it requires.
It is a different matter with the thyroid gland. Here, medical means must quite often be resorted to because it is extremely complicated to improve it with, well, spiritual means. Yet, here, too, results will be attained and have, in fact, already been achieved. If a patient repeats certain sayings day after day in a song-like speech, carefully prescribed in a definite way, the size of the thyroid gland will decrease.
So it must be said that hormone therapy is just as effective as medications are for insomnia. It would be better, however, if humans would at last begin to think about accomplishing things in other than just materialistic ways and would finally consider giving civilization the opportunity that would afford everyone a chance for a certain degree of spiritual activity. Then these manipulations wouldn't be valued quite so highly, because it would be recognized that one becomes feeble in old age in the first place because of the negative aspects of our civilization. All these operations on humans that give them a few months of rejuvenation in old age basically serve only to equalize what has already been damaged. From the medical standpoint it is a brilliant, remarkable accomplishment, but when it is viewed in a larger cultural context, one sees its darker side as well.
Of course, we must consider something else, too. I said earlier that administering sleeping pills to younger persons actually weakens them. If rejuvenation treatments are resorted to in elderly persons who are shrivelled up and can barely grope about, it is naturally a source of great happiness for them to be able to act a bit lively once more. One doesn't have to be quite so concerned that such a rejuvenation treatment could be harmful to them because it is performed at an age when it becomes difficult to check for any damaging after effects.
Our materialistic world conception is attaining remarkable results today, but when they are seen in a larger cultural context, they take on a different appearance. This is why I always stress that people should be concerned with protecting children in school, and also in later years, to prevent them from getting premature symptoms of old age. This problem is not confined to a certain segment of society. Nowadays people hardly thirty run around with terribly bald heads, particularly those who belong to the so-called affluent professions. Premature baldness is caused by the unnatural forms of higher education. It would be much wiser to educate people in such a way that the body would be in a position to maintain everything for as long as it retains its life forces.
This is what I can tell you about these matters. It is always interesting to view such things from both sides, which, indeed, they have. Anything else concerning this I shall talk about another time.
Vierter Vortrag
Meine Herren, es hat hier jemand eine Frage aufgeschrieben in bezug auf die Schilddrüse:
Die Schilddrüse kann anschwellen, und es entsteht dann der Kropf. Da dieser auf die Luftröhre einen einengenden Einfluß haben kann, also störend wirkt, wurde ein operativer Eingriff gemacht, wußte man doch den Zweck der Drüse nicht. Aber bald nach dem operativen Eingriff zeigte sich eine merkwürdige Erscheinung. Leute, denen man die ganze Schilddrüse weggeschnitten hatte, veränderten sich an Geist und Gestalt. Das Wachstum hörte auf, die Gliedmaßen dunsteten auf, es sonderte sich kein Schweiß mehr ab, teilweise Verblödung trat ein. Als man die Ursache entdeckt hatte, wollte man den Schaden wieder beheben und gab den unglücklichen Menschen Schilddrüsen von frisch geschlachteten Kälbern oder Hammeln ein. Der Erfolg war überraschend. Alle schädliche Wirkung trat zurück; doch war der Erfolg nur scheinbar. Nach einigen Wochen verblaßte er, war nicht lebensfähig. Auch revoltierte bald der Magen. Man schritt dazu, Schilddrüsenteile in den Hals zu bringen. Auch hier verblüffende Wirkungen; doch traten auch hier wieder Verfallserscheinungen auf. Nicht besser ging es mit Einspritzungen von Schilddrüsensekret. Eine englische Fabrik hatte mit Tabletten überraschende Resultate erreicht, darunter bei Kretins. Eine kurze Unterbrechung im Benutzen dieser Tabletten läßt einen Stillstand der Heilung eintreten. Was ist beim Fortsetzen der Tablettenkur zu erwarten?
Nun, meine Herren, mit dem, was wir bisher schon besprochen haben, können Sie ungefähr die Dinge verstehen, um die es sich da handelt. Sehen Sie, es war so ungefähr bis vor vielleicht siebzig Jahren, so bis in die vierziger, fünfziger Jahre des 19. Jahrhunderts, da schrieb man der Schilddrüse, also derjenigen Drüse, die hier an der Vorderseite des Halses beim Menschen zu finden ist, keine besondere Bedeutung zu. Man dachte sich, solch eine Drüse sei vielleicht von einer ähnlichen Bedeutung wie der Blinddarm oder so etwas, rühre her von früherer Bedeutung, die die Sache bei den Vorfahren des Menschen hatte, und dergleichen. Kurz, man schrieb der Schilddrüse keine besondere Bedeutung bei, bis man merkte, daß die Entartung der Schilddrüse, also die Kropfbildung, einen besonderen Einfluß sogar auf die geistigen Fähigkeiten des Menschen hat. Und man studierte die Bedeutung der Schilddrüse, der Wucherung und Vergrößerung der Schilddrüse bei Kretins, bei blöde gebliebenen Menschen. Sehen Sie, solche Erscheinungen, daß Menschen blöde bleiben und stark vergrößerte, also wuchernde Schilddrüsen haben, die findet man besonders in gewissen Gegenden. Es ist ja wohl weit in der Welt bekannt, daß die Halberstädter Trottel mächtige Schilddrüsen haben, die sie sogar über die Schultern hinüberlegen können.
Nun handelt es sich darum, daß die Leute zunächst gedacht haben: Nun, wenn die Schilddrüsenentartung, die Schilddrüsenwucherung einen solchen Einfluß auf die geistigen Fähigkeiten des Menschen hat, dann wird man ja gut tun — so denkt man in unserer Zeit, wo man besondere Vorliebe für operative Eingriffe hat, denn die Operationskunst hat ja den größten Fortschritt gemacht im 19. Jahrhundert und ist eigentlich der bedeutendste Teil der Medizin geworden, wirklich anerkennenswert —, zunächst an die Entfernung zu denken. Man denkt wirklich zunächst an die Entfernung solcher Organsysteme, denen man keine besondere Bedeutung zuschreibt. Dieselbe Sache wird ja in bezug auf die Blinddarmfunktionen gemacht, und der Blinddarm wird ja heute noch zunächst, wenn er sich irgendwie schädigend bemerkbar macht, durch operativen Eingriff entfernt.
Alle diese Dinge beruhen natürlich darauf, daß etwas nicht eingehalten wird, auf was ich hier immer wiederum aufmerksam gemacht habe. Sie werden sich erinnern: Derjenige, der den ganzen Menschen beobachtet, der sieht manchmal beim Kind in gewissen Vorgängen, daß sich das im spätesten Alter in seinen Folgen zeigt. Die gewöhnlichen medizinischen Ansichten gehen natürlich nur auf das, was augenblicklich die Gegenwart fordert. Also man nimmt dasjenige vor, was in der Gegenwart günstig ist, und man sieht dann nicht auf den weiteren Verlauf. Es ist schwer, über solche Dinge, ich möchte sagen, ein radikales Urteil abzugeben, denn wenn man bei irgend jemandem, der die schädigende Blinddarmentzündung zeigt, die Operation unterläßt, so kann er unmittelbar an der Blinddarmentartung sterben, und man hat dann die Verantwortung vor sich, nicht wahr. Es handelt sich natürlich nur darum, daß man darauf hinarbeitet, daß solche Dinge auch in einer anderen Weise behoben werden als durch Operationen. Zum Beispiel ist aufgetaucht in der neueren Zeit — das wissen Sie ja —, daß man die Kinder mit möglichst nackten Füßen, Beinen, bis über die Knie, herumgehen läßt. Ja, das züchtet die Blinddarmentartung! Und dann, wenn der Blinddarm schon krank ist, kann man natürlich nichts anderes machen als operieren. Aber derjenige, der die Sachen in einem größeren Zusammenhang sieht, der weiß, wie man diesen Dingen so begegnen kann, daß die Sache eben überhaupt nicht in dieser Weise auftritt.
Was nun die Schilddrüse betrifft, so muß man folgendes sagen. Richtig ist, daß die Schilddrüse — das weiß man, wie gesagt, seit der letzten Hälfte des vorigen Jahrhunderts — nicht bedeutungslos ist, sondern daß sie eine große Bedeutung hat für die gesamte menschliche Organisation, daß also eine entartete Schilddrüse dem Menschen nicht möglich macht, seinen Körper so zu den geistigen Tätigkeiten zu gebrauchen, daß er als ein normaler Mensch erscheinen kann.
Nun ist alles das, was hier in der Frage beschrieben worden ist, ja geschehen: Man hat zunächst versucht, die Schilddrüse wegzuoperieren. Sind da noch Reste der Schilddrüse geblieben, so zeigte sich in der Tat für den Betreffenden eine Art von Besserung. Der Betreffende hatte nicht die Folgen der entarteten Schilddrüse, und er wurde wenigstens nicht dümmer als er schon war. Wenn man aber die ganze Schilddrüse wegoperierte, so daß also gar nichts mehr von der Schilddrüse drinnen war, dann wurde er blöder, als er schon war. Daraus erkannte man natürlich, daß die Schilddrüse dennoch, selbst wenn sie erkrankt ist, ihre Bedeutung hat für die Äußerung der geistigen und der seelischen Eigenschaften eines Menschen.
Nun hat man auch wiederum das Schilddrüsensekret - man nennt eine Flüssigkeit, die in einer Drüse drinnen ist, Sekret - in der verschiedensten Weise den Menschen zugeführt. Man hat also teilweise dadurch, daß man Schilddrüsensubstanz dem menschlichen Körper, ich möchte sagen, eingeimpft hat, die Ausbreitung dieser Drüsenflüssigkeit im Körper wiederum bewirkt. Es hat sich aber herausgestellt, daß das keine besondere dauernde Besserung hervorruft, weil eben der ganze Körper doch nicht recht teilnehmen will an dem, was man da hineingibt. Den besten Erfolg hat eigentlich noch erlebt die Verabreichung von Schilddrüsensaft in der Form, daß man sie dem Magen einführt, also durch diese Tabletten, die da beschrieben worden sind. Dadurch, daß man den Schilddrüsensaft in den Magen einführt und dadurch in die ganze Blutzirkulation, wird der Körper durchdrungen von dem, was in dem Schilddrüsensaft drinnen ist. Und das zeigt, daß er ihn braucht, diesen Schilddrüsensaft, das zeigt, daß, wenn die Schilddrüse ordentlich in einem Menschen vorhanden ist, ihr Sekret ins Blut übergeht, und im Blut durch den ganzen Körper durch geht in sehr kleinen, feinen Mengen. Wenn man nun, statt direkt in den Körper, den Schilddrüsensaft in den Magen einführt, so geht dies auch durch das Blut durch. Aber sehen Sie, die Sache ist natürlich so, daß wenn ich durch den Magen Schilddrüsensaft einführe, das nur solange anhält, als eben die Sache im Blut drinnen zirkuliert. Höre ich wiederum auf mit dem Eingeben von Tabletten, dann verliert sich auch der Saft im Blute. Also solche Leute, die auf diese Weise Schilddrüsensaft kriegen, die müssen ihn fortwährend kriegen. Und dann hat er auch seine bestimmte Wirkung.
Man könnte nun sagen: Ja, das ist erst ein richtiger Beweis für den Materialismus; denn man sieht, daß man dem Menschen nur diesen oder jenen Stoff zuführen darf, dann heben sich seine geistig-seelischen Fähigkeiten; oder wenn er diesen Stoff selber in sich fabriziert, wie es beim Schilddrüsenstoff der Fall ist, dann ist das auch so der Fall. Aber die Sache ist so: Wenn man viel genauer noch die ganzen Versuche prüft, die nach dieser Richtung gemacht werden, so sieht man nämlich noch etwas ganz anderes. Die Schilddrüsen, die sind ja ziemlich groß; Sie wissen ja, daß die ziemlich groß sind. Aber in dieser großen Schilddrüse, die da vorne am Hals ist, sind nämlich noch ganz kleine, winzige Drüsen rechts und links da drinnen. Ganz kleinwinzige Drüsen sind da drinnen; die sind nicht größer als ein kleiner Stecknadelkopf. Diese kleinwinzigen Drüsen, die sondern einen Stoff ab, der an verschiedenen Stellen des Körpers überhaupt abgesondert wird. Nicht derselbe Stoff, aber ähnliche Stoffe werden an verschiedenen Stellen des Körpers von ganz kleinen, winzigen Drüsen abgesondert. So zum Beispiel wird in den sogenannten Nebennieren — da sind auch solche kleinwinzigen Drüsen drinnen - auch ein solcher Stoff abgesondert; es ist ein anderer Stoff als der, der von der Schilddrüse abgesondert wird. Und an anderen Stellen des Körpers sind auch noch so kleine, winzige Drüsen. Kurz, der menschliche Körper hat ganz feine Stoffe in sich, die an den verschiedensten Stellen abgesondert werden. Diese Stoffe, die der Mensch da hat, die nennt man Hormone; und ein solches Hormon, ein solcher Stoff, der also ganz fein im Körper verteilt ist, solcher Stoff ist auch da drinnen in den kleinen Drüsen der Schilddrüse.

Sie können sich das so vorstellen: Wenn Sie einen Fisch haben, der gewohnt ist im Wasser zu leben, so kann er, wenn Sie ihn herausnehmen, in der Luft nicht leben; da muß er sterben. Diese Hormondrüsen, die etwas wie kleine, winzige Lebewesen sind, die können ebenso nur in der Schilddrüse leben wie der Fisch im Wasser. Also die Schilddrüse ist eigentlich dazu da, daß diese kleinen winzigen Drüsen, die ich da als gelbe Punkte gezeichnet habe, in ihr leben. Operiert man nun die Schilddrüse heraus, dann hat der Körper das Schilddrüsenhormon nicht. Wenn man mit der Schilddrüse diese kleinen winzigen Drüsen herausoperiert, dann hat der Mensch das nicht und dann ist es überhaupt aus; wenn man nur so viel wegschneidet, daß diese kleinen winzigen Drüsen bleiben, dann wird es besser. Nur muß in der Schilddrüse so viel drinnen sein, daß eben diese kleinen Drüsen noch in der Schilddrüse drinnen leben können. Wenn Sie also die ganze Schilddrüse herausschneiden, so schneiden Sie auch die Hormondrüsen mit heraus — dann ist es aus; wenn Sie nicht zu viel herausschneiden und die Hormondrüsen drinnen lassen, haben Sie, wenn ich so sagen darf, seinen Tod aufgehalten. Also, die Operation gelingt eigentlich am besten, wenn man nur so viel wegschneidet von der Schilddrüse, daß die Hormondrüsen drinnenbleiben. Gelingt es dann, dasjenige, was die Hormondrüsen brauchen und was von der wenigen Substanz der Schilddrüse nicht mehr da ist, durch die Tabletten zu ersetzen, so daß die Hormondrüsen, während das Blut durch sie durchsickert, etwas haben, dann ist auch eine Besserung da. Also die Sache ist eben ziemlich kompliziert, und es hängt sehr viel davon ab, wie nun überhaupt das Sekret, das in die Schilddrüse hineinkommt, gemacht wird.
Nimmt man einen Hammel und schneidet nicht die ganze Schilddrüse heraus, läßt man also die Hormondrüsen drinnen, dann ist das Sekret nicht so gut, als wenn man die ganze Schilddrüse herausschneidet. Denn in dem Moment, wo man beim Hammel die ganze Schilddrüse herausschneidet, rinnt also der Saft, der in den Hormondrüsen drinnen ist, in das Sekret hinein und man hat ein gutes Sekret; es zirkuliert schon das Hormon in seinem Blut. Schneidet man die Schilddrüse so heraus, daß die Hormondrüsen drinnen bleiben, dann ist das Schilddrüsensekret schlechter, und die Tabletten helfen nicht so gut.
Also Sie sehen, es kommt nicht allein auf die Schilddrüse an; die Schilddrüse gibt eigentlich nur den Drüsen, die kleinwinzig sind, Nahrung. Und Sie können sich denken, daß man diese Drüsen, die kleinwinzig wie Stecknadelköpfe sind, auch lange nicht gefunden hat. Denn wie soll man denn darauf aufmerksam sein, daß da diese kleinwinzigen Drüsen sind?
Daraus aber können Sie sehen, daß der Mensch ein Wesen ist, das einfach gewisse Stoffe braucht. Sie brauchen sich nämlich an gar nichts anderes zu erinnern, als daß ja auch die geistig-seelischen Fähigkeiten eines Menschen verändert werden, wenn er zum Beispiel Wein trinkt. Wenn er Wein trinkt, wird er lustig zunächst; später vielleicht anders. Die geistig-seelischen Fähigkeiten am nächsten Tag, die zeigen ja das Gegenteil. Ja, geradeso ist es mit diesem Stoffe, den der Mensch ja allerdings nur in ganz feinen Verteilungen braucht, der da in den Hormondrüsen der Schilddrüse drinnen ist. Der Mensch bedient sich dieses Stoffes. Er braucht ihn. Die Tiere brauchen ihn auch. Und man kann natürlich sehr viel machen, wenn man im menschlichen Organismus mit solchen Stoffen manipulieren kann.
Nun, sehen Sie, das hat dazu geführt, daß man überhaupt in der letzten Zeit aufmerksamer geworden ist auf diese ganz feinen Stoffe. Worauf beruht denn eigentlich die Wirkung solcher Stoffe, wie sie da aus den Hormondrüsen herauskommen? Nun, meine Herren, das verstehen Sie nur dann, wenn Sie begreifen, daß eigentlich der menschliche Körper fortwährend der Zerstörung ausgesetzt ist. Der menschliche Körper ist eigentlich fortwährend der Zerstörung ausgesetzt, und im menschlichen Körper bilden sich fortwährend Gifte. Das ist schon einmal die Eigentümlichkeit des menschlichen Körpers, daß sich in ihm fortwährend Gifte bilden.
Was aus diesen kleinen Drüsen kommt, das nimmt die Wirkung der Gifte, die sich im menschlichen Körper bilden, weg. Das ist eine sehr interessante Sache, daß der menschliche Lebensprozeß eigentlich darinnen besteht, daß sich der Mensch innerlich fortwährend vergiftet, und daß ihm diese kleinen Drüsen eingesetzt sind, die die Wirkung der Gifte fortwährend wegnehmen. Zum Beispiel finden sich auch in den Nebennieren solche Hormondrüsen. Wenn diese ordentlich funktionieren, dann ist der Mensch so, wie Sie alle sind. Wenn aber diese kleinen Nebennierendrüsen aufhören zu funktionieren, so wird der Mensch braun von Hautfarbe, gelbbraun. Diese Krankheit gibt es. Man nennt sie Addisonsche Krankheit, weil der Addison sie zuerst beobachtet hat. Es war sogar ein solcher Patient einmal hier, aus unserer Gesellschaft, der hier Heilung gesucht hat. Dieses Braunwerden der Haut, immer Dunkler- und Dunklerwerden der Haut, das rührt davon her, daß gewisse Gifte im Körper sind, denen die Gegengifte fehlen aus den Hormondrüsen in den Nebennieren. Und ebenso rührt das Trottelhafte von dem her, daß die Gegengifte von diesen Hormondrüsen in der Schilddrüse nicht an den Körper abgeführt werden.
Wenn Sie also Tabletten einführen, namentlich solche, die noch durchsetzt sind von solchen Hormon-Gegengiften, dann werden sie eben einfach diese Gegengiftwirkung auf den menschlichen Körper ausüben. Und das hat dazu geführt, daß man überhaupt solche Dinge mehr beachtet hat. Und es ist ja interessant, daß die Frage gleich auftaucht im Zusammenhange mit der Steinachschen Theorie. Sie ist damit nämlich etwas verwandt, und es ist richtig, sie zusammen zu denken. Sehen Sie, die Steinachsche Theorie ist eigentlich in diesen Tagen, könnte man sagen, gerade im Anfang Dezember 1922, zehn Jahre alt. Vor etwa zehn Jahren hat der Steinach, der Professor in Wien, zum erstenmal die Mitteilungen von seinen Versuchen dazumal an die Akademie der Wissenschaften geschickt. Diese Steinachsche Theorie beruht nun auch darauf, daß der menschliche Körper von Hormonen, also von den Wirkungen ganz kleiner, winziger Drüsen fortwährend durchsetzt ist.
Sehen Sie, es ist ja interessant: Wie Sie dastehen als Mensch, da sind Sie eigentlich darauf aus, sich fortwährend innerlich von allen Organen her zu vergiften. Aber da sitzen überall solche winzigkleine Drüsen, und die wirken fortwährend als Gegengifte. So daß Sie, vom Hals her ausgehend, die Hormondrüsen des Halses, der Schilddrüse haben, die also bewirken, daß Sie nicht lallen, sondern sprechen, daß Sie mit Ihrer Sprache Gedanken verknüpfen können und so weiter. Sie haben Hormondrüsen in den Nebennieren; die bewirken, daß Sie nicht schwarz werden, sondern schöne weiße Menschen bleiben und so weiter. Und so gehen auch kleine Mengen feiner Säfte, die von Hormondrüsen herrühren, von den tierischen und menschlichen Geschlechtsorganen aus. Der Geschlechtsapparat der Tiere und der Menschen hat, sowohl beim männlichen wie weiblichen Geschlechte, dasjenige, was man Pubertätsdrüsen nennt. Die liegen noch im Innern des Körpers. Sie sind beim Kinde noch ganz wenig ausgebildet. Und wenn der Mensch geschlechtsreif wird, im vierzehnten, fünfzehnten Jahre, dann bilden sich sowohl beim weiblichen wie beim männlichen Geschlechte diese Pubertätsdrüsen voll aus. Sie liegen im Innern des Körpers, beim Manne oberhalb der Hoden, des Hodensackes. Und diese Pubertätsdrüsen, die haben auch solche kleinen Hormondrüsen in sich, und da wird ebenso ein Hormon abgesondert, das nun in die ganze Blutzirkulation geht in sehr feiner Verteilung. Und dieses Hormon, das da in die Blutzirkulation geht, das hat die Eigenschaft — das haben die Steinachschen Experimente gezeigt —, die Alterserscheinungen zurückzudrängen.
Sehen Sie, mit den Alterserscheinungen beschäftigt man sich ja schon sehr, sehr lange, und außerordentlich interessante Ansichten hat über die Alterserscheinungen der Pariser Arzt und Naturforscher Metschnikow schon vor langer Zeit veröffentlicht, lange bevor die Steinachschen Theorien bekanntgeworden sind. Metschnikow ist dazumal davon ausgegangen, daß der menschliche Körper sich fortwährend vergiftet. Namentlich ist er sehr davon ausgegangen, daß durch den Verdauungsprozeß in dem Darm fortwährend Gifte angesammelt werden, namentlich giftige mikroskopisch kleine Tiere, Pflanzen, und daß der Mensch eigentlich unter dem Einfluß dieser Gifte alt wird.
Nun, Steinach ist darauf gekommen, daß man diesem Altwerden, das heißt, diesem innerlichen Vergiftungsprozeß, der ganz natürlich ist beim Menschen, auch entgegenarbeiten kann. Er hat seine Versuche vorzugsweise mit Ratten angestellt. Nun muß man ja bei solchen Dingen immer sagen: Die Tierversuche sind nicht vollständig für den Menschen anwendbar. Nicht alles, was bei Tieren, besonders bei solchen Tieren wie den Ratten vor sich geht, kann man ohne weiteres auch vom Menschen aussagen. Denn die tierische Organisation ist doch etwas anders als die menschliche. Und man muß schon sagen, wenn man auch von den Menschen eine noch so geringe Ansicht hat meinetwillen im Vergleich zu der Größe des Weltenalls - ein ganz geringfügiger Unterschied zwischen einem Menschen und einer Ratte ist denn doch noch immer auch in der physischen Organisation vorhanden.
Also dasjenige, was wissenschaftlich vorliegt, ist vorzugsweise an Ratten experimentiert worden. Die Ratten eignen sich gerade zu diesen Experimenten am allerbesten. Sehen Sie, eine Ratte, wenn sie sich gesund entwickelt, wird etwa zweieinhalb Jahre alt, und sie zeigt, bevor sie wirklich stirbt, ganz ausgesprochene Alterserscheinungen. Diese Alterserscheinungen einer solchen Ratte zeigen sich darin, daß vor allen Dingen die Ratte etwas unlustiger wird, als sie sonst ist. Die Ratten sind ja sehr bewegliche Tiere, auch sehr aggressive, angriffslustige Tiere. Und wenn sie alt werden, solche Rattengreise werden, werden sie dann unlustig, schlapp. Dann verlieren sie an gewissen Stellen die Haare, so daß sie ganz nackte Hautstellen zeigen; an den anderen Stellen werden die Haare so ruppig, struppig, borstig. Dann haben sie keinen rechten Appetit mehr, und namentlich zeigt sich das Greiswerden der Ratten darinnen, daß sie, wenn man sie zusammensperrt in einen Käfig mit anderen Rattenmännchen, nicht mehr raufen; sie ziehen sich zurück; und wenn man sie mit Weibchen zusammensperrt, so hat man sich, wenn die Weibchen nicht auch schon alt geworden sind, darüber zu beklagen, daß sie sich nicht mehr für sie interessieren. Man muß natürlich außerordentlich achtgeben beim Experimentieren. Die Ratten sind allen möglichen Krankheiten ausgesetzt, sie werden sehr leicht tuberkulös, sehr leicht von Bandwürmern befallen, Eingeweidewürmern, und namentlich alle möglichen ansteckenden Krankheiten, wie man sie nennt, haben sie auch. So daß man, wenn man eine Ratte hat, die ein solcher Greis geworden ist, wie ich es beschrieben habe, achtgeben muß, ob das herrührt von solchen Krankheiten, oder ob es natürliche Alterserscheinung ist.
Man muß also erst, wenn man solche Versuche macht, eine ganze Menge von Ratten sammeln. Und diese Ratten muß man fortwährend prüfen, ob sie diese oder jene Eingeweidewürmer haben oder nicht; man muß überhaupt diejenigen ganz wegtun, welche von Krankheiten ihr ruppiges, struppiges Haar oder ihren Haarausfall haben. Und dann bleiben eigentlich immer ganz wenige von einer großen Zahl übrig, so daß man also dann eine Anzahl Ratten hat, die Rattengreise sind.

Steinach hat die Versuche zunächst hauptsächlich mit männlichen Ratten gemacht. Diese Rattengreise, die also schlapp sind und zuweilen nackt sind auf der Haut, denen die Haare ausgefallen sind, die sich nicht mehr für die Weibchen interessieren, diese Rattengreise werden nun behandelt. Und zwar werden sie so behandelt, sehen Sie: Da ist also in einer Ratte die Pubertätsdrüse. Diese Pubertätsdrüse sitzt im Körper, oberhalb des Hodensackes. Von dieser Pubertätsdrüse gehen fortwährend Säfte in feineKanäle, Man könnte es so zeichnen: Wenn das die Pubertätsdrüse ist, so gehen da feine Kanälchen in den sogenannten Samenstrang, wo ja der Same auch abgelassen wird. Und das Hormon der Pubertätsdrüse geht also durch diese Kanäle und vermischt sich mit dem Samen, der abgelassen wird, so daß also der Same durchdrungen ist von diesem Hormon. Wenn also das Tier noch jugendlich ist, so sondert die Pubertätsdrüse dieses Hormon ab. Das geht durch diese Kanäle. Man nennt diese Kanäle die Vasa deferentia; es geht durch diese Kanäle das Hormon in den Samenkanal. Und der Same, der vom männlichen Organ abgelassen wird und das weibliche befruchtet, der enthält dieses Hormon. Aber das Hormon, das da in der Pubertätsdrüse erzeugt wird, das ich hier rot skizziert habe, das geht auch in den ganzen Körper über. So daß also die Ratte ja allerdings das Hauptsächliche dieses Hormons in den Samenkanal abläßt, aber es geht dieses Hormon auch fein verteilt zurück in den ganzen Körper, so daß der ganze Körper der Ratte eben in seiner Blutzirkulation dieses Hormon der Pubertätsdrüse hat.
Nun denken Sie sich, die Ratte wird alt, schlaff. Die Schlaffheit, das Schlaffwerden des Körpers, das drückt sich darinnen aus, daß der Körper seine Abgänge nicht mehr halten kann; er kann sie nicht mehr bei sich halten. Sie werden gehört haben, daß Leute, die hingerichtet werden, ihre Abgänge hinter sich gelassen haben. Der Körper kann, wenn er schlaff wird, diese Abgänge nicht mehr halten. Und wird nun die Ratte beziehungsweise der Organismus überhaupt alt, so rinnt zu viel von diesem Hormon in den Samenkanal hinein, und zu wenig geht in den Körper zurück, so daß der Körper die Altersgifte dann in sich hat, und dieses Hormon, das von der Pubertätsdrüse kommt, wirkt zu wenig als Gegengift. Dadurch wird die Ratte und der Organismus überhaupt alt. Alt wird er durch die Gifte, die er in sich selber erzeugt. Diese Gifte dringen in den ganzen Körper ein und der Mensch kann dadurch also nicht Jugend haben.
Wenn das Kind geschlechtsreif wird, dann geht sehr viel von diesem Hormonstoff in den ganzen Körper über. Aber das ist sogar weniger wichtig. Der Körper ist frisch und hält das, was er selber braucht von diesem Pubertätshormon, in sich, läßt nur so viel abgehen, als er selber nicht braucht.
Wenn die Ratte, an der diese Versuche gemacht worden sind, alt wird, dann läßt sie zu viel ab von dem Pubertätsdrüsenhormon. Nun hat der Steinach die Sache so gemacht, sehen Sie: Er bindet diesen Kanal ab; der wird dahier mit einem feinen Faden abgebunden, so daß die Ratte den Weg von der Pubertätsdrüse zum Samenkanal unterbrochen hat. Jetzt kann das Hormon von der Pubertätsdrüse nicht heraus und geht wiederum in den Körper zurück. Sie können verstehen, wie das ist? Also, es ist einfach so, wie wenn man ein Rohr abschließt; dann geht das Ganze zurück. Und so schließt er hier ab, das Vas deferens bindet er ab, macht eine Ligatur, wie man es nennt, und das ganze Hormon schießt in den Körper zurück; die Ratte fängt an, wieder lustig zu werden, kriegt sogar wieder Haare, und wenn man sie zusammensperrt mit Weibchen, so kann sie diese zwar nicht befruchten, denn dieses ist ja abgeschlossen, aber sie wird wieder geschlechtslustig und geht wieder los auf die weiblichen Ratten. Die Sache ist schon so.
Sie sehen also, daß die Sache einfach dadurch gemacht wird, daß man mechanisch verhindert, daß der schlaffwerdende Körper zu viel abläßt; da aber geht das in ihn zurück und er bekommt eine vielleicht vorübergehende, aber immerhin doch eine gewisse Jugend wieder zurück. Es ist ganz interessant, zu sehen, wie diese Rattenmännchen wiederum ganz frisch und beweglich werden, wenn ihnen die Ligatur gemacht ist an der Stelle, wo ich es angezeichnet habe.
Nun, diese Sache hier, dieses Abschnüren, kann in der verschiedensten Weise gemacht werden. Es kann so gemacht werden, wie ich es eben angedeutet habe. Das ist ziemlich schwer, denn es ist natürlich eine Operation notwendig, um erst beizukommen. Man muß von außen einen Schnitt machen, um hereinzukommen, und dann einen Faden herumführen, daß man die Sache abbindet. Aber es sind die Versuche auch in anderer Weise gemacht worden, zum Beispiel dadurch, daß man die Hoden mit Röntgenstrahlen bestrahlt hat. Dadurch sterben sie ab und dadurch wird auch das Hormon der Pubertätsdrüse zurückgedrängt. Diese Sache wurde namentlich auch bei Menschen gemacht.
Kurz, das Ganze beruht darauf, daß man den Saft, den Hormonsaft wieder in den Körper zurückbringt. Sie sehen da die Verwandtschaft mit der Schilddrüse, bei der es sich auch darum handelt, daß man auf irgendeine Weise das Hormon in die Blutzirkulation hineinbringt. Hier handelt es sich auch darum, daß man das Hormon der Pubertätsdrüse dadurch in die Blutzirkulation hineinbringt, daß man im Alter, wenn der Mensch schwach geworden ist, das eben einfach abdrosselt. Die Sache ist also naturwissenschaftlich absolut in Ordnung.
Diese Versuche hat in den zehn Jahren der Steinach sehr gut fortgesetzt, und man kann heute schon sagen, daß dasjenige, was sich an Ratten gezeigt hat, in gewissem Sinne sogar an Menschen nachgeprüft werden konnte. Man hat die Sache auch an Menschen ausgeführt und konnte entweder damit Wirkungen erzielen oder dadurch, daß man direkt von einem jüngeren Menschen Pubertätsdrüsen-Sekret in die Pubertätsdrüsen einführte. Man kann es auch durch Einimpfen hineinbringen, oder man kann die Hoden impfen, daß man also Hodensaft von einem jüngeren Tier in die Hoden des Menschen einführt — kurz, auf die verschiedenste Weise hat man versucht, dieses Hormon in den Körper zurückzubringen.
Und in der Tat, die Wirkungen, die sich dabei bei Menschen gezeigt haben, werden ja natürlich immer ein bißchen übertrieben, aber wegzuleugnen sind sie schon durchaus nicht. Es ist so, daß tatsächlich die Versuche nicht bloß mit Ratten gemacht worden sind, sondern auch mit alten, mit schlapp gewordenen Menschen, die wiederum einen Teil ihrer Jugend dadurch zurückgekriegt haben.
Lange wird ja die Geschichte selbstverständlich nicht dauern, denn der menschliche Körper hat ja doch nur ein begrenztes Alter. Es ist auch durchaus heute noch nicht ausgemacht, ob man dadurch etwa die Lebensdauer verlängert. Man kann die Jugend etwas zurückgeben, aber nicht die Lebensdauer verlängern. Aber auch das ist wahrscheinlich, daß man dadurch die Lebensdauer wird verlängern können.
Aber sehen Sie, alle diese Dinge haben auch ihre Schattenseiten, denn ich will Ihnen etwas sagen: Nicht wahr, es gibt Menschen, die schlecht schlafen können. Wenn man junge Menschen hat, die schlecht schlafen können, und man gibt ihnen ein Schlafmittel, Opium, Morphium, nun ja, dann schlafen sie halt besser; das ist untrüglich, sie schlafen dann. Es ist gar nichts einzuwenden. Aber die Sache ist doch so, daß, wenn man jugendlichen Menschen immer wieder als Schlafmittel Morphium gibt oder irgendwie überhaupt ein Schlafmittel, ein physisches, dann wird doch der Körper mit der Zeit schwach. Er braucht vorzugsweise dieses Schlafmittel immer mehr. Er kann nicht mehr sein ohne dieses Schlafmittel. Er wird abhängig von diesem Schlafmittel, und man hat es später doch nicht mit einem Menschen zu tun, der im vollen Besitz seiner Kräfte ist. Daher ist es schon besser, wenn man darüber nachdenkt, wie man die Schlaflosigkeit mehr auf innerliche Weise bekämpfen kann. Und man kann sie auch auf innerliche Weise bekämpfen. Wenn man den Menschen wirklich dazu bringt, daß er sich anstrengt, nur immer dasselbe Wort zu denken, dann kriegt er nach und nach von innen die Kraft, einzuschlafen. Und das ist besser. Dadurch schwächt sich der Mensch nicht.
Man kann also schon sagen: Die Wirkung der Schlafmittel ist unbestreitbar. Es ist ganz ausgeschlossen, daß der Mensch nicht durch die Schlafmittel doch besser schläft. Aber man sollte eigentlich die Sache in einer ganz anderen Weise deichseln. Man sollte versuchen, dem Menschen den Schlaf auf innerliche Weise beizubringen. Natürlich ist das schwerer und hängt etwas mit der Erziehungsmethode zusammen. Wenn man nämlich die Kinder ordentlich erzieht, so ist es einfach so, daß man sie auch leicht dazu bringen wird, daß sie ordentlich ihr Quantum Schlaf absolvieren; und man braucht den Menschen später nicht Schlafmittel zu geben, wenn sie in der Schule ordentlich behandelt worden sind.
Man kann schon gerade diese Verjüngungsmethode vergleichen mit dem Schlafmittelgeben. Ja, meine Herren, da ist ganz besonders das interessant: Ich sagte Ihnen schon, der Metschnikow hat zuerst sich mit diesen Alterserscheinungen beschäftigt und hat den Leuten ein anderes Mittel gegeben — dazumal gab es noch keine Steinachschen Versuche. Sie werden vielleicht sehr erstaunt sein: Ein ganz materialistischer Arzt hat den Leuten anempfohlen, sie sollen hauptsächlich so etwas lesen wie den Goetheschen «Faust»! Tatsächlich, sie sollen so etwas lesen, wie den Goetheschen «Faust»; dann werden sie auch zu einer Art Verjüngungskur kommen.
Ja, daran ist nämlich ungeheuer viel Wahres. Wenn man nämlich im richtigen Alter so etwas hat, was einen geistig innerlich ganz in Anspruch nimmt, was einen auch in Begeisterung bringt — Begeisterung heißt ja nicht deshalb Begeisterung, weil es nicht den Geist in Bewegung bringt, sondern gerade weil es den Geist in Bewegung bringt, heißt es Begeisterung, sonst würde es «Bestofflichung» heißen; selbst die Materialisten, wenn sie ihre Volksreden halten, sagen nicht: Wir wollen uns durchdringen mit Bestofflichung, sondern sie sagen, trotzdem sie an den Geist nicht glauben: Wir wollen uns durchdringen mit Begeisterung —, wenn man sich also wirklich durchdringt mit Begeisterung, so ist das ein Quell der Verjüngung. Das kann man allerdings bei Ratten nicht nachprüfen! Aber es ist ein Quell der Verjüngung bei Menschen. Und wenn man die Beobachtungen im Leben dahin machen würde, würde man finden, daß das, was man einem Menschen überhaupt an Verjüngung beibringen kann nach dem Quantum seiner Kraft, seiner Lebenskräfte, daß man ihm das viel besser beibringt, wenn man ihm in der richtigen Weise Zeit läßt, innerlich sich zu durchdringen mit einer geistigen Tätigkeit. Denn eine geistige Tätigkeit hat nämlich die Eigentümlichkeit, daß sie die Drüsenwände zusammenhält und stark erhält.
Wenn einer sein ganzes Leben hindurch nur Interesse hat für oberflächliches Zeug, dann werden seine Drüsen, alle diese Gefäßwände viel eher schlaff, als wenn er für Geistiges Interesse hat. Und man braucht bei einem Menschen, wenn man ihn erstens als Kind ordentlich erzogen hat, und dem man zweitens Zeit gelassen hat, sich in der richtigen Weise mit dem Geiste zu durchdringen, bei einem solchen Menschen braucht man nachher nicht eine solche Ligatur zu machen, weil er diesen Kanal stark erhält, und selber in den Leib dasjenige zurückgehen läßt, was er braucht.
Das ist anders als bei der Schilddrüsengeschichte. Bei der Schilddrüse, da muß man schon zuweilen eingreifen, weil es außerordentlich schwer ist, die Schilddrüse, ich möchte sagen, durch Geistiges besser zu machen; aber auch da wird man Resultate erzielen. Sie sind schon erzielt worden. Wenn man in einer ganz bestimmten Weise, in einer gesangartigen Sprache, immer und immer wieder, jeden Tag Sachen wiederholen läßt, dann geht auch die Schilddrüse zurück.
So daß man also in der Tat sagen muß: Die Sachen sind ebenso richtig wie die Wirksamkeit der Schlafmittel; aber es wäre besser, wenn die Menschheit endlich daran denken würde, nicht alles auf solch eine materielle Weise zu machen, sondern wenn die Menschheit endlich daran denken würde, der Zivilisation die Möglichkeit zu geben, daß ein jeder zu seinem Quantum geistiger Tätigkeit kommen kann. Dann würde man überhaupt auf diese Dinge auch nicht einen so großen Wert legen, sondern dann würde man sehen, daß die Tatsache, daß man da zusammenklappt im Alter, eigentlich erst hervorgerufen wird durch die Schädlichkeit unserer Zivilisation. Alle diese Operationen am Menschen sind ja im Grunde genommen nur dazu da, daß man das, wasman auf der einen Seite verschuldet am Menschen, durch ein paar Monate Verjüngung im Alter wiederum ausgleichen will. Medizinisch ist die Sache natürlich genial, großartig; aber man muß sie in einem größeren Kulturzusammenhange sehen. Dann gewinnt sie eine andere Seite.
Natürlich kommt da noch etwas anderes dazu. Ich habe zuvor gesagt, daß man, wenn man einem jüngeren Menschen Schlafmittel gibt, ihn eigentlich schwächt. Das ist ja, wenn man bei alten, zusammengeschrumpelten, nicht mehr recht tapsen könnenden Menschen eine solche Verjüngungskur anwendet, für diese natürlich eine große Freude, wenn sie wiederum anfangen können, ein bißchen lustig zu sein im Leben. Man braucht da nicht so stark besorgt zu sein, daß es für das Alter schaden könnte, denn eine solche Verjüngungskur wird in einem Alter angewendet, wo es sich nicht mehr recht ausprüfen läßt, ob es ihnen hinterher schadet oder nicht. Die materialistische Weltanschauung bringt großartige Resultate heute, aber sie müssen in einem größeren Kulturzusammenhang betrachtet werden. Dann nehmen sie sich anders aus. Deshalb sage ich immer, die Menschen sollten nachdenken, wie sie die Kinder in der Schule und dann im späteren Alter davor behüten, solche frühzeitigen Alterserscheinungen zu bekommen. Das ist nicht auf Klassen beschränkt, sondern schon mit dreißig Jahren, gerade wenn sie den sogenannten höheren Ständen angehören, laufen die Leute mit furchtbaren Glatzen herum. Das kommt davon her, daß schon in den höheren Schulen unnatürlich erzogen wird. Es wäre viel gescheiter, wenn so erzogen würde, daß der menschliche Körper selbst alles zusammenhält, solange er Lebenskräfte hat.
Das ist dasjenige, was ich Ihnen über die Sache sagen kann. Es ist ja sehr interessant, gerade diese Dinge immer von den zwei Seiten aus zu betrachten, die sie haben.
Was etwa noch zu sagen wäre, will ich Ihnen das nächste Mal sagen. Ich muß für acht Tage verreisen, werde dann längere Zeit da sein, und wir können dann weiter über die Sache reden.
Fourth Lecture
Gentlemen, someone here has written down a question about the thyroid gland:
The thyroid gland can swell, causing a goiter. Since this can constrict the windpipe, thus causing discomfort, surgery was performed, even though the purpose of the gland was unknown. But soon after the surgery, a strange phenomenon occurred. People who had their entire thyroid gland removed underwent changes in their mental state and physical appearance. Growth stopped, limbs became swollen, sweat was no longer secreted, and in some cases, mental retardation set in. Once the cause was discovered, attempts were made to repair the damage by giving the unfortunate people thyroid glands from freshly slaughtered calves or mutton. The success was surprising. All harmful effects receded, but the success was only apparent. After a few weeks, it faded and was not sustainable. Soon, the stomach also rebelled. The next step was to insert pieces of thyroid into the throat. Here, too, the effects were astonishing, but again, signs of deterioration appeared. Injections of thyroid secretions did not fare any better. An English factory had achieved surprising results with tablets, including in cretins. A brief interruption in the use of these tablets causes the healing process to come to a standstill. What can be expected when the tablet treatment is continued?
Well, gentlemen, with what we have discussed so far, you can roughly understand what is involved here. You see, until perhaps seventy years ago, until the 1840s and 1850s, no particular importance was attached to the thyroid gland, the gland located at the front of the human neck. It was thought that such a gland was perhaps of similar importance to the appendix or something like that, stemming from its former significance in the ancestors of humans, and the like. In short, no particular importance was attached to the thyroid gland until it was noticed that degeneration of the thyroid gland, i.e., the formation of a goiter, has a particular influence even on the mental abilities of humans. And the importance of the thyroid gland, the proliferation and enlargement of the thyroid gland in cretins, in people who have remained stupid, was studied. You see, such phenomena, where people remain mentally retarded and have greatly enlarged, i.e., proliferating thyroid glands, are found particularly in certain areas. It is well known throughout the world that the Halberstadt idiots have powerful thyroid glands that they can even lay over their shoulders.
Now, the thing is that people initially thought: Well, if thyroid degeneration, thyroid hyperplasia, has such an influence on a person's mental abilities, then it would be a good idea — this is how we think in our time, when we have a particular preference for surgical interventions, because the art of surgery made the greatest progress in the 19th century and has actually become the most important part of medicine, truly worthy of recognition — to think first of removal. One really thinks first of removing such organ systems to which one does not attribute any particular significance. The same thing is done with regard to the functions of the appendix, and even today, if the appendix causes any kind of damage, it is removed by surgical intervention.
All these things are based, of course, on a failure to observe something that I have repeatedly pointed out here. You will remember that those who observe the whole human being sometimes see in certain processes in children that the consequences will become apparent in later life. Ordinary medical views naturally focus only on what the present moment demands. So one does what is beneficial in the present and does not look at the further course of events. It is difficult to make a radical judgment about such things, because if one refrains from operating on someone who has a harmful appendicitis, he may die immediately from the appendicitis, and then one has the responsibility before one, doesn't one? Of course, it is only a matter of working towards finding ways of remedying such things other than through surgery. For example, in recent times – as you know – it has become apparent that children should walk around with their feet and legs as bare as possible, up to above the knees. Yes, that breeds appendicitis! And then, when the appendix is already diseased, there is of course nothing else to do but operate. But those who see things in a broader context know how to deal with these things in such a way that they do not occur in this way at all.
As far as the thyroid gland is concerned, the following must be said. It is true that the thyroid gland — as has been known since the latter half of the last century — is not insignificant, but that it is of great importance for the entire human organism, so that a degenerated thyroid gland prevents a person from using their body for mental activities in such a way that they can appear to be a normal person.
Now, everything that has been described in the question has indeed happened: First, an attempt was made to surgically remove the thyroid gland. If any remnants of the thyroid gland remained, the person concerned did indeed show some improvement. The person concerned did not suffer the consequences of a degenerated thyroid gland, and at least did not become more stupid than he already was. However, if the entire thyroid gland was surgically removed, so that nothing of the thyroid gland remained, then the person became more stupid than they already were. From this, it was naturally recognized that the thyroid gland, even when diseased, is nevertheless important for the expression of a person's mental and emotional characteristics.
Now, thyroid secretion—a fluid found inside a gland is called a secretion—has been administered to humans in various ways. In some cases, by injecting thyroid substance into the human body, so to speak, the spread of this glandular fluid in the body has been achieved. However, it has been found that this does not bring about any particular lasting improvement, because the whole body does not really want to participate in what is being introduced into it. The best results have actually been achieved by administering thyroid juice in such a way that it is introduced into the stomach, i.e., through the tablets that have been described. By introducing the thyroid juice into the stomach and thus into the entire blood circulation, the body is permeated by what is contained in the thyroid juice. And that shows that it needs this thyroid juice, it shows that when the thyroid gland is functioning properly in a person, its secretion passes into the blood and travels through the whole body in very small, fine quantities. If, instead of introducing the thyroid juice directly into the body, it is introduced into the stomach, it also passes through the blood. But you see, the thing is, of course, that when I introduce thyroid juice through the stomach, it only lasts as long as it circulates in the blood. If I stop administering the tablets, the juice is also lost in the blood. So people who receive thyroid juice in this way must receive it continuously. And then it also has its specific effect.
One could now say: Yes, this is real proof of materialism; because we see that if we give a person only this or that substance, then his mental and spiritual abilities are enhanced; or if he produces this substance himself, as is the case with thyroid substance, then the same is true. But the thing is: if you examine all the experiments that have been done in this direction much more closely, you see something completely different. The thyroid glands are quite large; you know that they are quite large. But inside this large thyroid gland, which is located at the front of the neck, there are also very small, tiny glands on the right and left. There are very tiny glands inside; they are no bigger than a small pinhead. These tiny glands secrete a substance that is secreted in various parts of the body. Not the same substance, but similar substances are secreted in different parts of the body by very small, tiny glands. For example, in the adrenal glands — which also contain such tiny glands — a similar substance is secreted; it is a different substance from that secreted by the thyroid gland. And there are also such tiny glands in other parts of the body. In short, the human body contains very fine substances that are secreted in various places. These substances, which humans have, are called hormones; and such a hormone, such a substance, which is distributed very finely throughout the body, is also found in the small glands of the thyroid gland.

You can imagine it like this: if you have a fish that is used to living in water, it cannot live in the air when you take it out; it must die. These hormone glands, which are like tiny little creatures, can only live in the thyroid gland, just like the fish in the water. So the thyroid gland is actually there so that these tiny little glands, which I have drawn as yellow dots, can live in it. If you operate to remove the thyroid gland, then the body does not have the thyroid hormone. If you remove these tiny glands along with the thyroid gland, then the person will not have it and then it will be completely gone; if you only remove enough so that these tiny glands remain, then it will be better. But there must be enough left in the thyroid gland so that these tiny glands can still live inside it. So if you remove the entire thyroid gland, you also remove the hormone glands — then it's over; if you don't remove too much and leave the hormone glands inside, you have, if I may say so, prevented his death. So, the operation is actually most successful when you only remove enough of the thyroid gland to leave the hormone glands inside. If you then manage to replace what the hormone glands need and what is no longer present in the small amount of thyroid tissue with tablets, so that the hormone glands have something to work with as the blood seeps through them, then there will also be an improvement. So the matter is quite complicated, and a lot depends on how the secretion that enters the thyroid gland is produced.
If you take a sheep and do not cut out the entire thyroid gland, i.e., you leave the hormone glands inside, then the secretion is not as good as when you cut out the entire thyroid gland. Because the moment you remove the entire thyroid gland from the sheep, the juice that is inside the hormone glands flows into the secretion and you have a good secretion; the hormone is already circulating in its blood. If the thyroid gland is removed in such a way that the hormone glands remain inside, the thyroid secretion is poorer and the tablets are not as effective.
So you see, it's not just the thyroid gland that matters; the thyroid gland actually only nourishes the glands that are tiny. And you can imagine that these glands, which are as small as pinheads, were not discovered for a long time. After all, how could anyone be aware that these tiny glands exist?
But from this you can see that humans are beings who simply need certain substances. You don't need to remember anything else except that a person's mental and emotional abilities are also changed when they drink wine, for example. When they drink wine, they become cheerful at first; later, perhaps, something else. The next day, their mental and emotional abilities show the opposite. Yes, it is just the same with this substance, which humans only need in very small amounts, which is found in the hormone glands of the thyroid. Humans make use of this substance. They need it. Animals need it too. And of course, a great deal can be achieved if one can manipulate the human organism with such substances.
Well, you see, this has led to people becoming more attentive to these very fine substances in recent times. What is the basis for the effect of such substances as they come out of the hormone glands? Well, gentlemen, you will only understand this if you realize that the human body is actually constantly exposed to destruction. The human body is actually constantly exposed to destruction, and toxins are constantly forming in the human body. That is one peculiarity of the human body, that toxins are constantly forming in it.
What comes out of these small glands counteracts the effects of the toxins that form in the human body. It is a very interesting thing that the human life process actually consists of the human being constantly poisoning himself internally, and that these small glands are put in place to continuously counteract the effects of the toxins. For example, such hormone glands are also found in the adrenal glands. When these function properly, humans are as you all are. But when these small adrenal glands cease to function, the skin turns brown, yellow-brown. This disease exists. It is called Addison's disease because Addison was the first to observe it. There was even such a patient here once, from our society, who sought healing here. This browning of the skin, the skin becoming darker and darker, is caused by certain toxins in the body for which there are no antidotes from the hormone glands in the adrenal glands. And likewise, the idiocy stems from the fact that the antidotes from these hormone glands in the thyroid gland are not being released into the body.
So if you introduce tablets, namely those that are still interspersed with such hormone antidotes, then they will simply exert this antidote effect on the human body. And this has led to such things being given more attention. And it is interesting that the question immediately arises in connection with Steinach's theory. It is somewhat related to it, and it is right to think of them together. You see, Steinach's theory is actually ten years old these days, one could say, at the beginning of December 1922. About ten years ago, Steinach, the professor in Vienna, sent the reports of his experiments at that time to the Academy of Sciences for the first time. Steinach's theory is based on the idea that the human body is constantly permeated by hormones, i.e., the effects of very small, tiny glands.
You see, it's interesting: as a human being, you are actually constantly poisoning yourself internally from all your organs. But there are tiny glands everywhere, and they constantly act as antidotes. So that, starting from the neck, you have the hormone glands of the neck, the thyroid gland, which ensure that you don't slur your words but speak clearly, that you can connect thoughts with your speech, and so on. You have hormone glands in your adrenal glands; these ensure that you do not turn black, but remain beautiful white people, and so on. And so small amounts of fine juices, which originate from hormone glands, also emanate from the animal and human sexual organs. The sexual apparatus of animals and humans, both male and female, has what are called puberty glands. These are still located inside the body. They are still very underdeveloped in children. And when humans reach sexual maturity, at the age of fourteen or fifteen, these puberty glands develop fully in both females and males. They are located inside the body, in men above the testicles, the scrotum. These puberty glands also contain small hormone glands, which secrete a hormone that is distributed very finely throughout the bloodstream. This hormone, which enters the bloodstream, has the property—as Steinach's experiments have shown—of reversing the signs of aging.
You see, people have been concerned with the signs of aging for a very, very long time, and the Parisian physician and naturalist Metchnikov published extremely interesting views on the signs of aging a long time ago, long before Steinach's theories became known. Mechnikov assumed at the time that the human body is constantly poisoning itself. In particular, he strongly believed that toxins, namely toxic microscopic animals and plants, are constantly accumulating in the intestines as a result of the digestive process, and that humans actually age under the influence of these toxins.
Well, Steinach came to the conclusion that it is possible to counteract this aging process, that is, this internal poisoning process, which is completely natural in humans. He conducted his experiments primarily on rats. Now, with such things, one must always say: animal experiments are not completely applicable to humans. Not everything that happens in animals, especially animals such as rats, can be readily applied to humans. After all, the animal organism is somewhat different from the human organism. And it must be said that, even if one has a low opinion of humans in comparison to the vastness of the universe, there is still a very slight difference between a human and a rat in terms of physical organization.
So, the scientific evidence has been obtained primarily from experiments on rats. Rats are particularly well suited to these experiments. You see, a rat, if it develops healthily, lives to be about two and a half years old, and before it actually dies, it shows very distinct signs of aging. These signs of aging in such a rat are manifested primarily in the rat becoming somewhat less playful than it usually is. Rats are very agile animals, as well as very aggressive and combative. And when they grow old, these elderly rats become listless and sluggish. They then lose their hair in certain places, revealing patches of bare skin; in other places, their hair becomes coarse, shaggy, and bristly. Then they no longer have a proper appetite, and the aging of rats is particularly evident in the fact that when they are locked up in a cage with other male rats, they no longer fight; they withdraw; and if you put them together with females, unless the females are also old, you will find that they are no longer interested in them. Of course, one must be extremely careful when experimenting. Rats are susceptible to all kinds of diseases; they easily contract tuberculosis, tapeworms, intestinal worms, and all kinds of infectious diseases, as they are called. So if you have a rat that has become as old as I have described, you have to be careful whether this is due to such diseases or whether it is a natural sign of aging.
So, when conducting such experiments, one must first collect a large number of rats. And these rats must be constantly checked to see whether or not they have this or that intestinal worm; those that have rough, shaggy hair or hair loss due to disease must be removed altogether. And then, in fact, very few of a large number remain, so that one then has a number of rats that are old rats.

Steinach initially conducted the experiments mainly with male rats. These old rats, which are limp and sometimes naked on the skin, whose hair has fallen out, which are no longer interested in females, these old rats are now treated. And they are treated as follows: You see, there is a puberty gland in a rat. This puberty gland is located in the body, above the scrotum. Juices flow continuously from this puberty gland into fine channels. You could draw it like this: if that is the puberty gland, then there are fine channels leading to the so-called spermatic cord, where the semen is also discharged. And the hormone from the puberty gland passes through these channels and mixes with the semen that is discharged, so that the semen is permeated with this hormone. So when the animal is still young, the puberty gland secretes this hormone. It passes through these channels. These channels are called the vasa deferentia; the hormone passes through these channels into the seminal canal. And the semen that is discharged from the male organ and fertilizes the female contains this hormone. But the hormone that is produced in the puberty gland, which I have outlined in red here, also passes into the entire body. So although the rat releases most of this hormone into the seminal duct, it is also distributed throughout the entire body, so that the entire body of the rat has this hormone from the puberty gland in its blood circulation.
Now imagine that the rat is getting old and limp. The limpness, the slackening of the body, is expressed in the fact that the body can no longer hold its waste products; it can no longer keep them inside. You may have heard that people who are executed have left their waste products behind. When the body becomes limp, it can no longer hold these waste products. And when the rat, or rÄther the organism, grows old, too much of this hormone flows into the seminal duct and too little returns to the body, so that the body then contains the toxins of old age, and this hormone, which comes from the puberty gland, has too little effect as an antidote. This causes the rat and the organism to grow old. It ages because of the toxins it produces within itself. These toxins penetrate the entire body, and as a result, humans cannot remain young.
When the child reaches sexual maturity, a great deal of this hormone substance passes into the entire body. But that is even less important. The body is fresh and keeps what it needs of this puberty hormone within itself, releasing only as much as it does not need itself.
When the rat on which these experiments were performed grows old, it releases too much of the puberty gland hormone. Now, Steinach did the following: he tied off this channel; it was tied off here with a fine thread so that the rat's path from the puberty gland to the seminal duct was interrupted. Now the hormone cannot escape from the puberty gland and returns to the body. Can you understand how that works? Well, it's just like when you close off a pipe; then everything goes back. And so he closes it off here, he ties off the vas deferens, performs a ligature, as it is called, and all the hormone shoots back into the body; the rat starts to become frisky again, even grows hair again, and if you put it together with females, it can't fertilize them, because it's closed off, but it becomes sexually active again and goes after the female rats. That's how it is.
So you see that the procedure is simply done by mechanically preventing the aging body from releasing too much; but then it goes back into him and he regains a perhaps temporary, but nevertheless certain youthfulness. It is quite interesting to see how these male rats become fresh and agile again when the ligature is made at the place I have marked.
Now, this procedure, this ligation, can be done in various ways. It can be done as I have just indicated. That is quite difficult, because it naturally requires an operation to get there. You have to make an incision from the outside to get in, and then thread a string around to tie the thing off. But experiments have also been done in other ways, for example by irradiating the testicles with X-rays. This causes them to die off, which in turn suppresses the hormone produced by the puberty gland. This procedure has also been performed on humans.
In short, the whole thing is based on returning the hormone juice back into the body. You can see the similarity with the thyroid gland, where the aim is also to introduce the hormone into the bloodstream in some way. Here, too, the aim is to introduce the hormone from the puberty gland into the bloodstream by simply throttling it in old age, when the person has become weak. So from a scientific point of view, this is absolutely fine.
Steinach continued these experiments very successfully over a period of ten years, and today we can already say that what was demonstrated in rats has, in a certain sense, even been verified in humans. The procedure has also been carried out on humans, either by introducing puberty gland secretions directly from a younger person into the puberty glands, or by injecting it. It can also be introduced by vaccination, or the testicles can be vaccinated, i.e., testicular fluid from a younger animal is introduced into the testicles of humans—in short, various methods have been tried to restore this hormone to the body.
And indeed, the effects that have been observed in humans are, of course, always a little exaggerated, but they cannot be denied. The fact is that the experiments were not only carried out on rats, but also on old, frail people, who in turn regained some of their youth as a result.
Of course, the story will not last long, because the human body has a limited lifespan. It is also still unclear today whether this will extend life expectancy. You can restore some youth, but you cannot extend life expectancy. However, it is also likely that this will extend life expectancy.
But you see, all these things also have their downsides, because I want to tell you something: There are people who have trouble sleeping. If you have young people who have trouble sleeping and you give them a sleeping pill, opium, morphine, well, then they sleep better; that's undeniable, they sleep. There's nothing wrong with that. But the thing is, if you keep giving young people morphine as a sleeping pill, or any kind of physical sleeping pill for that matter, then over time their bodies will become weak. They will need more and more of this sleeping pill. They will no longer be able to function without it. They will become dependent on it, and later on you will no longer be dealing with a person who is in full possession of their faculties. Therefore, it is better to think about how to combat insomnia in a more internal way. And you can also combat it in an internal way. If you really get people to make an effort to think only of the same word, then little by little they will gain the strength to fall asleep from within. And that is better. It does not weaken the person.
So it can be said that the effect of sleeping pills is undeniable. It is quite impossible that people do not sleep better with sleeping pills. But the matter should actually be approached in a completely different way. One should try to teach people to sleep in an inner way. Of course, this is more difficult and has something to do with the method of education. If children are properly educated, it is simply the case that it will be easy to get them to get the right amount of sleep; and there will be no need to give people sleeping pills later on if they have been properly treated at school.
This rejuvenation method can be compared to giving sleeping pills. Yes, gentlemen, this is particularly interesting: I already told you that Metchnikov was the first to study these signs of aging and gave people a different remedy — at that time, Steinach's experiments did not yet exist. You may be very surprised: a completely materialistic doctor recommended that people should mainly read something like Goethe's “Faust”! Indeed, they should read something like Goethe's “Faust”; then they will also undergo a kind of rejuvenation cure.
Yes, there is a great deal of truth in that. If, at the right age, you have something that completely absorbs you spiritually, something that also inspires you — enthusiasm is not called enthusiasm because it does not set the spirit in motion, but precisely because it sets the spirit in motion; otherwise it would be called “materialization.” Even materialists, when they give their public speeches, do not say: We want to permeate ourselves with materialization, but rÄther, even though they do not believe in the spirit, they say: We want to permeate ourselves with enthusiasm — so if you really permeate yourself with enthusiasm, it is a source of rejuvenation. Of course, this cannot be verified in rats! But it is a source of rejuvenation in humans. And if one were to make observations in life, one would find that what one can teach a person about rejuvenation, according to the quantum of his strength, his life forces, can be taught much better if one allows him time in the right way to permeate himself inwardly with spiritual activity. For spiritual activity has the peculiarity of holding the gland walls together and keeping them strong.
If a person is only interested in superficial things throughout their life, their glands and all these vessel walls will become flaccid much more quickly than if they are interested in spiritual things. And with a person who has been properly educated as a child and who has been given time to immerse themselves in the spirit in the right way, there is no need to perform such a ligature later on, because they maintain this channel strong and allow what they need to return to the body themselves.
This is different from the thyroid situation. With the thyroid, one sometimes has to intervene because it is extremely difficult to improve the thyroid, I would say, through spiritual means; but even there, results can be achieved. They have already been achieved. If one repeats things over and over again, every day, in a very specific way, in a song-like language, then the thyroid also recedes.
So one must indeed say: these things are just as true as the effectiveness of sleeping pills; but it would be better if humanity would finally remember not to do everything in such a materialistic way, but if humanity would finally remember to give civilization the opportunity for everyone to achieve their quantum of spiritual activity. Then people would not attach so much importance to these things at all, but would see that the fact that people collapse in old age is actually caused by the harmfulness of our civilization. All these operations on humans are basically only there to compensate for what we have done to humans on the one hand, by rejuvenating them for a few months in old age. Medically, of course, it is ingenious, magnificent; but it must be seen in a larger cultural context. Then it takes on a different aspect.
Of course, there is something else to consider. I said earlier that giving sleeping pills to a younger person actually weakens them. When such a rejuvenation cure is used on old, shriveled people who can no longer walk properly, it is of course a great joy for them when they can start to enjoy life a little again. There is no need to be overly concerned that it could be harmful to the elderly, because such a rejuvenation cure is applied at an age when it is no longer possible to determine whether it will harm them afterwards or not. The materialistic worldview brings great results today, but they must be viewed in a larger cultural context. Then they look different. That is why I always say that people should think about how to protect children in school and later in life from developing such premature signs of aging. This is not limited to certain classes; even at the age of thirty, especially when they belong to the so-called higher classes, people walk around with terrible bald heads. This is because they are already being educated unnaturally in high schools. It would be much wiser to educate them in such a way that the human body itself holds everything together as long as it has life forces.
That is what I can tell you about the matter. It is very interesting to always look at these things from both sides.
I will tell you what else there is to say next time. I have to go away for eight days, but I will be back for a longer period of time, and we can then continue talking about the matter.