Scientists have determined that men can extend their lives but I expect there will be few takers. By studying the genealogy records of Imperial Court of the Korean Chosum Dynasty, the researchers at Korean University found that eunuchs had significantly longer lives than their contemporaries. The difference would suggest that it is male sex hormones that shorten the life expectancy for males.
Many of these boys were castrated by a common accident at the time — they were castrated by dogs. Some were castrated to gain entrance in the palace. Both groups lived substantially longer.
Of the 81 eunuchs studied, three lived to age 100 or more and the incidence of centenarians was 130 times greater than developed countries.
By the way, the shortest life expectancy was found among the Korean Royal males.
Source: Daily Mail
y did that y vanish? Correction:
“than they otherwise likely would.”
Castration of men with the purpose of extending life is not all that uncommon in the U.S. Most castrations are done to reduce mortality from prostate cancer, and some men live far longer after being castrated than the otherwise likely would.
My brother developed terminal cancer in 1986, when he was fifty, and died in about six months. Recognizing my risk, I was not only castrated in 1986, my colon was also removed that same year. My dad very nearly died from prostate disease when he was 51, and did develop terminal cancer when he was 65.
I am nicely past my 73rd birthday, and am thriving very well, sans testosterone.
I have known men whose sense of manhood made dying from cancer more desirable than doing what would have been necessary to avoid such a death.
I cannot be taught to be ashamed for preferring a decent chance for a decently long life over an indecent chance for an indecently early death.
Some time ago, I put an Internet link to where my bioengineering doctoral dissertation was parked on the Internet. My surgeries were described in my dissertation.
Prejudicial Stigma, is thy sting the sting of death?
Vanity, vanity, all macho is vanity?
Kate,
First senzible comment here.
Compensating for those factors must be kind of difficult.
Perhaps one of the causes is that many eunuchs served in households where they were given better food and health care than the average man.
Bob Kauten:
just doing gbk a favor.
But since you are relieved I would just like to say that progressive economic policies end up with a soft economy with no way to reproduce future gains.
Bron,
We are greatly relieved that you had nothing to say about it.
gbk:
I dont have anything to say about it, except that I always wondered why progressives live so long.
Frankly,
From what I recall….. It was a practice even in the middle east…..
AY – I had never heard that before. I know it was common among those in charge of tending to the protection of the women.
All male servants in China and japan of ages past were voluntary eunuchs……
gbk – pre-trollin’!! Love it.
Natalie – yes many nationalities and cultures eat dogs. (when I had it it reminded me mostly of pork). Not only most of Asia but Native Americans and Europeans too. Although the Europeans stopped eating dogs and it has somehow become unthinkable they still like horse and mule meat. People eat what is at hand and there are no large numbers of cows, chickens, goats or pigs (much smart than dogs) attacking humans in revenge.
As a 19 year old shepard mix who has been ball-less but not clueless all these years I must chimne in. Four legs good, two legs baaad. Humpin can be fun but pointless.
Maybe this is a stupid stereotype on my part, forgive me, if so, but don’t Koreans eat dog meat? If this is true about the common accident of castration by dogs, it might explain why. I’d stop thinking of them as pets if they were doing that, too!
Someone is their usual charming selves. Don’t and won’t name the name. We all know who it is. Hearing ones name is a sort of reward, and surely this one should not be rewarded. I wonder if the mouth is equipped with a vitriol canister? Refillable of course.
Lord Tennyson: ” ‘Tis better to have loved and lost, than lost a pair and never loved at all.”
Bron, (pre-emptive of course)
Yes, your statist view of the world has manifested through the eunuchs of Korea. I figured I would save you the effort of inking your own trivial perception and just bow.
msobel,
So your wife has only female cats, msobel?
Spayed is used to, “describe the ovariohysterectomy of a female animal,” and I would hope that this is not conflated with eunuchs, if nothing more for reasons of species and sexual delineations.
What’s the point?
As a Korean, this is of particular interest.
My wife says it just like having your cat’s spayed. They live longer because the don’t get into as many fights.