Product Code Database
Human fat was mentioned in European since the 16th century as an important component of quality deemed ointments and other pharmaceuticals in Europe. In old recipes human adipose tissue was mentioned as Pinguedo hominis, or Axungia hominis.Ferdinand Giese: Chemie der Pflanzen- und Thierkörper in pharmazeutischer Rücksicht. Hartmann, Leipzig 1811, p. 337 (German) The German medicinal Johann Agricola (1496–1570) described the recovery of human fat and its applications.
In traditional medicine in Europe, human fat was believed to have a healing magic significance until the 19th century. Many recovered the fat from the bodies of their executants, called "Armsünderfett" or "Armsünderschmalz" (German Language: fat or grease from poor sinners put to death), and sold it.Christiane Wagner, Jutta Failing: Vielmals auf den Kopf gehacket … In: Galgen und Scharfrichter in Hessen. Naumann, Nidderau 2008, (German) For some executioners the marketing of human fat was a major source of revenue. Menschenfett war früher ein begehrter Rohstoff. In: Die Welt dated 20. November 2009, The human fat was used to make ointments for treatment of various diseases such as bone pain, toothache and gout. It was also regarded as a panacea for particular diseases associated with cachexia (e.g. tuberculosis).Adolf Wuttke, Detlef Weigt (Edts.): Der deutsche Volksaberglaube der Gegenwart. Superbia, Hamburg 1860 (German) Also an analgesic effect in rheumatoid arthritis was given to human fat.Philip Bethge: Die Heilkraft des Todes. In: Der Spiegel. Vol. 63 (2009), No. 5 of 26. January 2009 (German)
From the late 19th century, human fat was produced and offered under the trade name Humanol as a sterile, liquified preparation for injections in Germany. In 1909 it was introduced for surgical treatment of scars, wound disinfection, and wound revisions. In the 1920s it became out of fashion after low cure rates and the incidence of caused by its application.H. Koch: Fettembolie durch Humanolinfektion. In: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Chirurgie. Vol. 186 (1924), pp. 273–278 (German)
Until the 1960s various manufacturers offered alleged Anti-aging cream for external use ( Hormocenta of Hormocenta Cosmetic Böttger GmbH, or Placentubex C of ) containing human fat from collected from Midwifery and Obstetrics for industrial purposes. The use of human placentas was terminated in favour of animal products. In 2009, a group of Peruvian gangsters, nicknamed "pishtacos" by the police, was accused of having manufactured and marketed human fat. However, the Peruvian Ministry of the Interior later described these allegations as a hoax.
This folk belief survives to the modern day. In Latin American urban legends, it is claimed that human fat is used to grease bells for better sound, or applied to modern machinery such as railways or airplanes.
|
|
