Selye, Hans

Selye, Hans (Hugo Bruno)

(born Jan. 26, 1907, Vienna, Austria-Hungary—died Oct. 16, 1982, Montreal, Que., Can.) Austrian-born Canadian endocrinologist. In early work on the effects of stress, he injected ovarian hormones into rats; this stimulated the adrenal glands, causing deterioration of the thymus gland, ulcers, and finally death. He later showed that physical injury, environmental stress, and toxins could have similar effects. Extending his theory to humans, he proved that a stress-induced hormonal system breakdown could lead to so-called “diseases of adaptation,” including heart disease and hypertension. He was president of the International Institute of Stress and wrote 33 books, including Stress Without Distress (1974).