This article is about the pharmaceutical uses of human fat. For a general view, see adipose tissue.
Human fat was mentioned in European pharmacopoeias since the 16th century as an important fatty component of quality deemed ointments and other pharmaceuticals in Europe. In old recipes human adipose tissue was mentioned as Pinguedo hominis, or Axungia hominis.[2] 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 executioners recovered the fat from the bodies of their executants, called "Armsünderfett" or "Armsünderschmalz" (German: fat or grease from poor sinners put to death), and sold it.[3] For some executioners the marketing of human fat was a major source of revenue.[4] 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).[5] Also an analgesic effect in rheumatoid arthritis was given to human fat.[6]
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 fat embolisms caused by its application.[7]
Until the 1960s various manufacturers offered alleged wrinkle creams for external use (Hormocenta of Hormocenta Cosmetic Böttger GmbH, or Placentubex C of Merz Pharmaceuticals) containing human fat from placentas collected from midwives and obstetric departments for industrial purposes. The use of human placentas was terminated in favour of animal products. In Peru a group of gangsters called pishtacos was accused of having manufactured and marketed human fat; the case turned out as a free invention of the investigators.[8]
^Collection of hamburgmuseum, Hamburg, Germany
^Ferdinand Giese: Chemie der Pflanzen- und Thierkörper in pharmazeutischer Rücksicht. Hartmann, Leipzig 1811, p. 337 (German)
^Christiane Wagner, Jutta Failing: Vielmals auf den Kopf gehacket … In: Galgen und Scharfrichter in Hessen. Naumann, Nidderau 2008, ISBN 978-3-940168-17-7 (German)
^Menschenfett war früher ein begehrter Rohstoff. In: Die Welt dated 20. November 2009, ISSN 0173-8437
^Adolf Wuttke, Detlef Weigt (Edts.): Der deutsche Volksaberglaube der Gegenwart. Superbia, Hamburg 1860 (German)
^Philip Bethge: Die Heilkraft des Todes. In: Der Spiegel. Vol. 63 (2009), No. 5 of 26. January 2009 (German)
^H. Koch: Fettembolie durch Humanolinfektion. In: Deutsche Zeitschrift für Chirurgie. Vol. 186 (1924), pp. 273–278 (German)
^""Körperfett-Morde" stürzen Polizeichef" (in German). 2 December 2009. Retrieved 3 December 2009.
Humanfat was mentioned in European pharmacopoeias since the 16th century as an important fatty component of quality deemed ointments and other pharmaceuticals...
century there were various alleged instances of soap being made from human body fat. During World War I the British press claimed that the Germans operated...
Gessner in 1551. In humans, adipose tissue is located: beneath the skin (subcutaneous fat), around internal organs (visceral fat), in bone marrow (yellow...
which are usually present in human diet in smaller amounts. Fats are one of the three main macronutrient groups in human diet, along with carbohydrates...
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of sympathetic magic, for example that powdered blood helps bleeding, humanfat helps bruising, and powdered skulls help with migraines or dizziness....
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as the distribution of muscles and fat. Skeletal structure grows and changes only up to the point at which a human reaches adulthood and remains essentially...
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who reject the aforementioned claims that the Germans made soap from humanfat and mass-produced it are sometimes still convinced that the Germans attempted...
arrangement identical to the mammary ridge lines seen in human embryos. TheFreeDictionary > Fat pad Citing: Mosby's Medical Dictionary, 8th edition. 2009...
Gynoid fat is the body fat that forms around the hips, breasts, and thighs. Gynoid fat in females is used to provide nourishment for offspring, and is...
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non-shivering thermogenesis. The therapeutic targeting of brown fat for the treatment of human obesity is an active research field. In contrast to white adipocytes...
manner to administer some drugs, such as human growth hormones. Just as the subcutaneous tissue can store fat, it can also provide good storage space for...