W. J. MACLENNAN, W. I. SELLERS
Originally in Proceedings of the Royal College of Physicians Edinburgh (1999) vol. 29 pp. 71-75. DOWNLOAD PDF
Throughout the millennia, mankind has been pursued the concept of achieving eternal youth. An example of this is the Classical pantheon of immortal gods. Again there are the nine Judhaic patriarchs with life spans between 777 and 962 years. In the Middle Ages, a major interest of alchemists was to produce an 'elixir of life'.
Interest has been revived in the 20 th century, starting with the transplantation of monkey glands, and moving to the relevance of genetic modification, and the use of hormones and anti-oxidants. Those involved in this field might heed Swift (1667-1745) when he describes the Struldburgs, beings who are immortal but live the most miserable of lives, warning that if longevity is to be of benefit, it should be linked to a high quality of life.
