The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1858-08-24
NO. 6Is.
The Iiusno n Blood.

The following interesting article y 6om
Blackuoofs Acgasine. ~ -.'..7
/ In former days, says the essayist, blood.
letting was ono Of tho 'heroic -ssuuH Of
medical practice; and ]. is sometimes a.
most appalling to read Of the exploits Of
practitioners. Haller mentions the case
OF hysterical woman, who was blcd .ons
thousand and twenty times in tho spses
OF nineteen years; and q girl at Pisa Is said
to have been bled once day, or once ev-
cry other day. during several years.
A third casc be mentions, Of q young
man who lost scventy-five pounds Of blood
In ten days; so that, If we reckon ten
pounds as tho utmost which the body con.
tsins at my given period, it ia clear that
this young mans loss must have been 70.
paired almost Immediately. In truth, tho
blood is inccssan'ly being abstrscted and
replaced, during the ordinary processes Of
life. Were it not continually renewed. IL
would soon vanish nltogether, like waler
in the sand. The hungry tissues momsn-
tnri!y snatch at its materials os It hurries
through them, and tho active absorbeuts
momentarily pour fresh matcrias into Il.
On account Of the great loss of blood
from wounds, attention .was carly called
10 somc method for supplying the defcien.
cy. In 1905, thc blood was injected into
the veins of dog, by Fracassiti. Two
years later, nm attempt was made on u
man. A French mathematician, Denis.
assisted by surgeon, having repeated with
success the experiments of Lowar, resolved
to extend the new idea. Ono evening
madman arrived in Paris quito nakei, and
he Was siezcd by Denis as a subject for his
new experiment. Eight onuces Of calls
blood was transfuscd into his veine. That
night he slept well. The experiment was
repeated on the succeeding day; he slept
quietly, and awoke sane
Great was the sensation produced by
this success. Lowar and King were cm-
bo!dencd to repeat il in London. They
found healthy man, willing TO haro son o
blood drawn from him, and replaced by
that Of sheep. Pe felt the warm stream
pouring in, and declared it 81 rlcasant
that they might repeat tho experiment
The tidiugs few over Europe. In Italy
and Germany the plan was repeated. aud
it now seemed as if TRANSMISSION would bo-
como one more of tho "hcroic arms" of med.
icine, These hopes wers soon dashed Thu
patient on whom Denis had operated again
went mad, and was again treated with
TRANSMISSION, and died during tho operation.
Tho son Of the Swedish Mipister, who
had been benefited by ono TRANSMISSION,
perished after second. a third death
was assigned TO a similar cause; and ia
April, 1868, the Parliament of Paris made
1t criminal to attempt TRANSMISSION, except
with the consent of the faculty Of Paris.
Thus the whole thing fell into discredit, to
10 revived again in our own day. It has
now been ascertained. that when transfu.
sion is practiced on human beings, human
blood must be employed, the practice ia
IN somo urgent cases not only safe, but
forms the cole remedy. Blundel has tho
glory of having revived and vindicatod
his practice, and lie has seen lis ideas
amply confirmed. Debard cites ffsteen
distinct cases of hcmorrhagc in which trans-
fusion has saved life.
Before quitting the surrey. it will be do
sirabIc to say iow words respecting tho
relation blood bears TO nutrition. Every
one knows that all the tissue are nou,isheI
by the blood. But in what way ia thi.
efiectcdl The blood is iulersccted BY n
vast net work Of canals, such as Venice or
Amsterdam; these canals are laden with
barges which carry to each house tho meat.
vegetables, and groceries, needed for dailv
use; and, while the food is thus presented
at each door, tho canal receives all the
sewerage Of tho house. Ono house will
take one kind OF meat and another house
another kind. While third will let tho
meat pass ard take only vegetables. But
AS The original stock was limited, it ia obyi.
Gus that the demands Of each house neoes-
sa'ily aft, ct the supplies Of the others. This
is what occurs in nutrition. tho muscles ie.
mand one set Of principles, tho nerves
second, tho bones n third, and each will
draw from tho blood those which il needs.
allowing :hc other for which il has no need
to p SIS on. The blood is retained in a sys-
ten Of vessels everywhere closed. Yet,
in spite Of tho absence Of orifces or pores,
it is distributed impartially to the most dis
tant parts Of the organism, and it is jistrib-
atcd according to tho momcniary require
mcnts Of each part. This BEAUTIFUL fact
should lead 10 the avoidance Of any pursuit
which tasks the brain at time when tho
stomach is at ork performing its functions.