Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-02-21
MIscELLANEoUs READING.
CAN WE BORROW BLOOD!

In contemplating the loss Of blood from
wounds or hemorrhage, and in noting how
the vital powers ebb as tho blood flows out.
We are naturally led to ask whether the peril
may not be avoided by pouringin fresh blood?
The idea of TRANSMISSION is, indeed, very an
cient But the ancients, in spite of their
facile credulity as to the effect of any ply
siological experiments, were in no condition
to make the experiment. They were too un-
acquainted with physiology and with the art
of experiment to know how to set about trans
fusion. Not until the middle of the seven
| teenth century had a preparation been made
for such trial. The experiments of Boyle.
Graaf and Fracassati, on the injection ofvari-
Gus substances into the veins Of animals.
were crowned by those of Lower, who, in
1865, injected blood into the veins of dog.
Two years later, bolder attempt was made
on man. A French mathematician, named
Denis assisted by asurgeon, having repea-
ted with success the experiments, OF Lower.
resolved to extend the new idea. 1t was
difficult to get human patient on whom the
plan could be tried, but one evening mad
man arrived in Paris quite naked, and he
was daringly seized by Denis as the fitting
subject for the new experiment. Eight oun-
ces of calfs blood were transfused into his
veins. That night he slept well. The ex-
pertinent was repeated on the succeeding day;
he slept quietly, and awoke sane.
Great was the sensation produced by this
success. Lower and King were emboldened
to repeat it in London. They found heal
thy man willing to have some blood drawn
from him, and replaced by that Of sheep.
lie felt the warm stream pouring IN, and de-
clared that it was so pleasant that they
might repeat the experiment. The tidings
few over Europe. In Italy and Germany
the plan was repeated, and it now seemed as
if TRANSMISSION would become one more Of the
'hcroic arms of medicine. These hopes were
soon dashed. The patient on whom Denis
had operated again went mad, was again
treated with TRANSMISSION and died during the
operation. The son of the Swedish minis
ter, who had been benefited by one transiu-
sion, perished after second. A third death
was assigned to similar cause; and in April,
1868, the Parliament Of Paris made 1t criml-
nal to attempt 'ransfusion, except with the
consent of the faculty Of Paris. Thus the
whole thing fell into discredit, to be revived
again in our day, and to be placed, at last, on
O scientific basis.
1T will Immediately occur to the physio-
logist who reads the accounts of these expert
ments, that TRANSMISSION was effected on the
supposition that the blood of all quadrupeds
was the same, and that it was Indifferent
whether a man received the blood Of another
man or Of q sheep or calf This supposition
was altogether erroneous. The more rigo.r-
GUS Investigations of the moderns have estab-
lished that only the blood of animals Of the
same species can be transfused in large guam
titles without fatal results. The blood Of 8
horse is poison in the veins of a dog; the blood
of sheep is poison in the veins Of cat; but
the blood of horse will revive the taintlng
ass. From this it follows that when trans
fusion is practised on human beings, human
blood must be employed; and, so employed,
the practice is in some urgent cases not only
safe but forms the sole remedy"