The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1913-01-17


perimental medicine and surgery is
supply Of live human beings to ex-
pertinent upon. have no doubt that
with plenty of human material to ex-
pertinent upon wizards like Carrel
and Flexner would within the next
TWO years solve almost all the prob
lens which are yet battling the medi-
cal profession"
Thus spoke DR. George G. Ram
baud, director of the pasteur Insti-
tute. Il hold no brief to speak in
behalf OF those scientists, and ii may
be that they would even disapprove
OF my suggestion, but can't help
feeling that rabbits, sheep or even
gorillas are very poor substitutes
for human beings when it come TO
testing the remedies to be applied
% human beings.
Let me give you a personal ex-
ample Of the difficulties we encounter
in our experimentation Take hydro-
probia. The period OF incubation
Is rather indefinite, though never
shorter than three weeks. have
known people to be attacked by hy-
drophobia as long as a year after be-
ing bitten
AT the present day there is no
cure for hydrophobia. We can pre-
vent II. but can mot cure it And
even our preventive medication is not
perfect, We give the patient one in
lection daily for eighteen days. Four
teen days afterward immunity is as
sured. Eighteen and fourteen days
make thirty-two days from the time
the patient is bitten until the pre-
yentive cure takes effect.
We may make successful dan
gerous experiment. on the whole ami
NAL series from the guinea pig to the
gorilla. But then il takes pretty
nervy man. | would almost say a
constituencies daredevil, to jump
from gorilla TO man You are iusti-
ned in experimenting on a man who
IS IN a hopeless condition II pa
ten. is doomed and daring opera
tion might either save his life or kill
him, you might take the risk. But
when a subject Is otherwise strong
and healthy what can we do?
i once saved a mans life by in
Jecting tetanns serum directly into
his brain, an operation never per-
formed before in this country /
might have never dared to do Il.
however il the other surgeons hadn't
declared the patient beyond their
help. II the man had had even the
slimmest lighting chance would
not have submitted him to an un.
tried experiment OF whose technique
was practically ignorant. AS a
matter Of fact. intracerebrai injec-
tons are not the least Bit dangerous,
but at the time they were considered
as bound to result fatally.
The cure for exophthalmic Roitre.
o. Graves disease. was found in the
same way A physicians wife was
suffering terribly from the disease
and losing ground very rapidly. In
TACT brother physician had declared
10 her husband that how long she
would live was only a question Of
hours
~ Woppsitioh may SOUND dread
ful to some sentimental and ignorant
souls. Still every man engaged in
surgical or ARCHAEOLOGICAL research
could recite cases of people who have
volunteered TO take the place of
rabbits or guinea pigs in laboratories.
Everybody has read about the poison
squad-how easy il was to find a
group Of healthy young men ready
&c submit themselves to the action
OF certain poisons under the super
vision Of scientist. There was no
material inducement; not even fame
was promised them.
DR. Carrel Of the Rockefeller In
stitute once received a letter from a
boy who offered himself for expert