Gold Hill daily news. [volume] (Gold Hill, N.T. [Nev.]) 1863-1882, 1869-11-17
TRANSMISSION OF BLOOD.


A Philadelphia paper says that this
operation, which consists Of the actual
transfer of the blood of one living body
into the veins Of another, has been re-
performed in the Pennsylvania
Hospital, under the following circum-
stances A young mar in the upper part
of the city was wounded on the inner
surface of the upper lip, by tripping and
falling on tho fragments of a pitcher
which he bad been carrying in his hand.
The wound continued to bleed for ten
days, after which time the patient WAS
sent to the surgical wards of the Hos
pital, which were, at the time, under
the charge Of Dr.. T. G. Morton. Sew
eral remedies were then applied, and the
arteries supplying the face were tied,
but without success in controlling the
flow of blood. Recourse WAS next had
to cutting down to the common carotid
or great artery of the neck, and apply
ing a ligature, so as to obstruct entirely
the course of the blood in it. This WAS
done on the 18th of October last. The
ooziug Of blood still continued, but in
lessened quantity. On the following
day, or the 10th, the patient was in such
A state of extreme exhaustion from the
loug continued hemorrhage, that bis
death seemed to be imminent, and, ms a
last resource, DR.. Morton resolved to
try the effect of TRANSMISSION. Two med
ical students barred their arms and gave
the blood required for the occasion
Five ounces and a half Of their blood
were infused into the vein Of each arm
of the patient, the marked good effects
of which were evinced in Eve minute:
by a rallying of the pulse and otherwise
beginning reaction. There was no fur
tber discharge of blood frem tho orig
inul wound, and iu ten days the patient
was able to walk in the ward, and rap
idly regained strength.
Whatever may be tho termination o.
this case, regarded as one Of n wound
with complicated symptoms, there cal
be no question Of the entire success o.
the operation Of TRANSMISSION, and OF it:
saving life and restoring the patient, fol
q while at least, to the exercise Of his
ordinary functions. TRANSMISSION was
first practised in the early part of the
seventeenth century, although its use in
England and on the continent generally
dates from the middle Of this century
The first operations were on animals
and the first instance Of one being per
formed on man, If we except that de
seribsd by L;barius, was in Paris, by
Deny, and Emmerez, in 1866.
In the succeeding year their example
was followed by Lower and King, IL
England. In these and other cases o
subsequent date. the blood was taker
from an animal-a sheep or calf, bu'
grave objections to this. course present
themselves in the different character o
the globules Of the blood Of animali
from those Of the human subject, and in
later times the TRANSMISSION is always
from one to another Of individuals o.
our own species. The profession i.
much indebted to DR.. Blundcll, an emf
nent English accoucheur, for his inge'
NOUS researches concerning TRANSMISSION
and his improved method for its sue
cessful use. He showed in the result
of cases Of excessive exhaustion from
loss OF blood, occurring in his large
obstetrical practice, and when life
seemed about to ebb away, how it could
be suddenly and completely rescued by
TRANSMISSION. The New York Medica
Record, of October l, contains an &C
count, by DR.. Joseph Buscher, Of a sue.
cessfnl case of TRANSMISSION. The patient
was q young German woman who had
lost much blood by typhus fever. The
fresh blood Was taken from the arm o.
her husband.