The Doctor Who Gave Men Goat Testicle Implants To Cure Impotence

Before Viagra and penile implants, impotent men didn’t have a lot of great options for treating their erectile difficulties. In fact, almost all of the early “treatments” for ED were nothing but snake oil–in other words, they were shams that didn’t work at all (except maybe through the power of suggestion). They sold like hotcakes, though, because they were marketed to a desperate audience of men that was willing to try almost anything if it meant returning their penises to working order.

Many unscrupulous characters have tried to profit off of impotent men’s desperation over the years by selling unproven “miracle cures.” One of the most egregious cases ever documented involved a “doctor” by the name of John R. Brinkley. Brinkley, who received his medical degree from a diploma mill, rose to fame in the 1920s by selling men across the United States on goat testicle implants as a means of restoring sexual virility. Basically, he’d open up his patients’ scrotums, throw a goat testicle inside, and sew them back up. Before the procedure, his patients could even select which goat they wanted to serve as the testicle donor!

Needless to say, randomly sticking an animal testicle inside of a guy’s scrotum is something that’s likely to cause far more problems than it solves–and that’s probably why Brinkley was ultimately involved in several wrongful death lawsuits. However, he was able to get away with this scam treatment for nearly two decades and, in the process, he accumulated massive wealth and a national reputation.

Did this really happen? Yep, and there’s a brand new documentary film about it where you can learn all of the sordid details of Brinkley’s life and his dubious medical practice. Appropriately enough, it’s entitled “Nuts!” and you can watch the trailer below. If you want to watch the full-length feature film on this rather nutty guy, check it out on Amazon or iTunes.

Watch more videos on the science of sex here.

Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook (facebook.com/psychologyofsex), Twitter (@JustinLehmiller), or Reddit (reddit.com/r/psychologyofsex) to receive updates.

Image Source: 123RF/lightwise