From Letters Live:
In May of 1928, a Russian-born surgeon known widely as “Monkey gland man” arrived in London to much fanfare, for Monkey gland man was famous for implanting thin slices of chimpanzee1 testicle into the scrotums of men, supposedly for all manner of benefits, e.g. prolonged lifespan, increased sex drive, and improved eyesight. Prior to Dr. Voronoff’s arrival, an article appeared in the London Daily News in which eminent bacteriologist Dr. Edward Bach warned the public against the aforementioned “monkey-gland grafting,” not because it was a terrifying con, but because it may cause the patient to take on the chimp’s “worst” characteristics. Shortly after Bach’s warning, the following letter appeared in the same newspaper, signed by “Consul Junior,” a famous chimp at London Zoo.
It had in fact been written by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw, and none other than Andy Serkis, aka Caesar from The Planet of the Apes, joined us to read it at Letters Live at London’s Union Chapel in March 2019.