New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1914-04-14
CAN'T TRANSPLANT
HUMAN ORGANS
DR.. Carrel, of Rockefeller
Institute, So Informs
Surgeons Congress.
SUCCESS WITH BEASTS
DOESN'T APPLY TO MEN
Reason Lies in Chemical Differ.
ence-Surgeon General Gorgas
Speaks for President.

-
Speaks for President.
Hundreds OF world famous surgeons
gathered together Yesterday at the
Hotel Astor for the fourth time in the
history Of the congresses Of the In
ternational Surgical Association, heard
the paper OF DR.. Alexis Carrel. OF the
Rockefeller Institute, admitting the
failure Of his research work TO estab
lish practical hope for the transplant
ing Of organs from one human body 10
another.
The importance of this admission.
according to vivisectionists present. lay
In the fact that in spite OF the success
full results obtained in some cases with
animals. there was no possibility that
the same results could be obtained with
human patients. This was for the rea-
son. he said, that the only successful
experiments were those OF auto
plastic" transplantatlons, and that the
chances Of danger in "homoplastic'
transplantations with human beings
were too grave 10 be accepted.
The "autoplastic' transportation, II
was explained, is one where an organ
is severed from its connection, and
then replaced. The peculiar chemical
relationship Of that organ 10 the rest
of the system is such that complete re
union is limited to the organ having
that chemical afliliation.
Healing Impossible?
"Homoplastic" transportation is
where a similar organ from another
body is grated in place of an eXtirpateu
one. The lack of the same chemical re-
action between the amputated organ
and the rest Of the substance always
prevented healing.
DR.. Carrel described several 'eXperi-
mental operations on dogs. cats
chickens and sheep at the Rockefeller
Institute. in which transference or or
gans from one animal 10 another OF
the same species, or even OF diherent
family. were attempted. The last men
toned are known as "heteropias'ic
transplantations.
During the past few years ne
wrote. 'it has been definitely estaO-
Iished that autoplastic transplantauons
of organs are practically always sue
coesf,l. that homoplestic transplanta-
tjons although the immediate results
NAV be excellent, are nearly always
unsuccessful ultimately, and tnat
beteron,astic transplantations are al
ways unsuccessful.
although the technical part oil the
rroh,em of the transplantation OF OF
gans was completely solved long ago.
this operation cannot Yet be appiieo
70 human surgery. Homoplastic gratis
alone would be of use, but before Delns
practicable homoplastic transpIanta-
tione must be rendered as safe as au-
toplastic trnsplantations.
Dr. Carrel then told of autopiastlc
transnlantation OF the kidney OF
doc successfully performed six weeks
200 and that q similar operation on
a cat had the same results.
Whom Il was attempted. however, TO
ron,ace the diseased organ OF dog or
cat with a sound one from another
dog or cat the results were unraVor-
able after the first few days. Dea'n
invariably resulted either from direct
failure Of the operation. or from COM
plications.
"In clinical surgery" he continued
~homoplastic transplantations can
nrobablv only be performed II 1T ever
becomes possible to remove organs
from a fresh cadaver and transplant
,h.n, on to a patient. The surgical
eide of the transportation of organs
,s now completed, as we are now able
~ nerform transplantations OF organs
with perfect ease and with exceilent
.,,,tc from an anatomical standpoint.
Can't Be Used in Human Surgery.
"Rut AS vet these methods cannot DC
ann,ied TO huma-. surgery. for the rea-
con that homoplastic transplantations
are almost always unsuccessful from
the standpoint of the functioning OF the
organs. All our efforts must now be
directed toward the biological methods
which will prevent the reaction OF the
organism against foreign tissue and AL
low OF the adapting Of homoplastic
CRAFTS TO their hosts"
DR.. Carrers pape" was one OF severai
nrepared in various languages in an
ticipation Of the general discussion OF
surgical subjects before the congress.
Before the first of these subjects vas
taken I'D interest was centred on the
exhibition OF surgical instruments and
apparatus spread throughout the large
ballroom, on the eighth floor OF the
hotel
Rows OF knives and all the latest
electrical and other apparatus used IN
advanced surgery we're placed there py