Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1910-12-08
WIZARD SURGEON s
WONDERFUL WORK
Takes Hearts Out without End
ing fe-Experiments at
Present on Dogs.

New York, Dec. lat the Rockefeller
| Institute they cut off leg put it in
cold storage for week and then sew it
on again, and it knts and heals and feels
and is alive, just like any other living
| limb / believe that the time Is not far
distant when they will be able to put "A
| man in cold storage for six months or
so and then warm him up and discharge
him from the hospital alive and kicking.
"WhN, the other day they took IA dogs
heart out and put dog and heart in cold
| storage; left EN- in there for week
| To-day that dog is running around the
laboratory. Saw him myself His heart
is back in place and he feels clipper and
| fine"
These words of Thomas A. Edison gave
| m" first inkling yesterday of the sur
gcal n,arves that are daily being per-
formed upon the heart by Dr. Alexis Car
rel, of the John D. Rockefeller Institute
for Medical Research.
| DR.. Carrel who first demonstrated tbe.
human tissues could be kept alive out.
side the body, is regarded bv his fellow
physicians with as much awe as botan-
lists look upon Luther Burbank. He has
|
and daring experiments at the institute
| by Or. Simon Flexner and others of the
| board OF directors. who include DR.. l.,
Emmett Holt, DR.. T. Mitchell Prudden.
| Or. William II WEIGH. Dr. Christian A
Herter. Dr. Theobald Smith and DR.. Her.
man NJ Biggs
| MT Edison was too kind" said DR.
Carrel yesterday when the "wizerd's"
| VI dc
American reporter. Then he modestlv
refused to discuss his recent expert
ments.
| From other official sources, however,
! The American learned OF the details
of Or. Carrel's experiments
DR.. Carrel has actually succeeded in
removing the hearts of dogs, graft
ing upon the hearts and replacing the
hearts without seeming discomfort in
a great many cases" said The Ameri-
cans informant. "A dog. the ascend
ing aorta Of which had been incised
and sutured by Jaboulay stitches. died
two and a half months after the op-
GRAFTON. 1t was found, however, that
the wound had healed perfectly and
the scar was small On three other
dogs the descending aorta had been
severed transversely and united again
by continuous through and through
sutures
zone of these dogs was chloroform-
ed two and & half months after the
operation and was In perfect condi-
ton. The other two dogs are still
living ard have suffered absolutely no
III effects.
| Tn another novel experiment,
piece of jugular vein. whic hhad been
preserved in cold storage. was used to
replace a bit Of the upper part of the
descending aorta Of a dog. The opera
ton lasted twentyfour minutes, and
during this time the blood reached
the lower part Of the aorta through o
parafsned tube.
DOG LIVED TWELVE DAYS.
'"rhe dog remained in good health for
L. days after the operation. His death
was due to "a slight slip In the technique
of preserving the piece OF jugular vein In
cold storage.
THE exact method by which Or. Car
rel keeps the heart and body OF dog
alive and separated from each other will
be made public some day. Although the
work is still In Its infancy. Or. Carrel
has advanced narverously. He has con-
cluslYoly shown that positive results can
be obtained in plastic operations upon
the thoracid aorta- But. In order to make
the experiment safe enough to test II
upon human being. the technique Of the
diversion of the blood must be improved
"Dr. Carrel has shown however. be-
yond shadow Of a doubt that cardiotomy
tcutting into the hear). followed by SUI
ture with large silk thread does not pre-
sent any danger. The opening OF the
heart. the introduction of the finger into
the cavity, even the removal Of the heart
from ihe body. does not interfere under
this treatment with the health of the ami
NAL.
'Dr. Carrel tried to develop an opera
ton which couk be used In certain cases
OF mitral insufriclency. This Is when the
mitral valve between the heart auricle
and the left ventricle does not properly
close the aperture The operation con-
sists In producing a slight construction of
fthe upper part OF the left ventricle It
can o, obtained by partial cuneform
resection OF the wall OF the vsntrcle Just
below the coronary artery. dog who
underwent this operation few weeks
ago is still In good health.
These experiments represent, perhaps
the first steps toward the complete plas-
tic surgery OF tho heart and aorta 1t ia
very probable that all diseases OF these
ORGANS can be cured when a few minor
difficulties are overcome.
Or. Carrel pumps air into animals upon
tine hearts of which he is experimenting
by passing tube down the wlndpipe
| ,.n 4
the tube is pushed down to the branching
of the hronsh,. BY an ingenious ar
rangement this tube Is connected with a
lT-shaped tube and then indirectly with
a bellows and hottie containing ether.
Air can be pumped in at Will and further
administration OF ether can be regulated