Evening journal., 1921-04-19
SURGEONS FIND
CAUSEO SHOCK
Discoveries Made During
War Shed Light on
Wounds
OLD THEORIES
ARE DISPROVED

CAMBRIDGE. Mass.-Discoveries
made by Dr. Walter b. Cannon, Of
the Harvard Medical School, and
other American. British and French
medical officers toward the close OF
the World War have brought forth
new evidence regarding the cause
and nature OF the strange condition
known as shock" a condition that
led 10 innumerable deaths in war
time and frequently has similar
result after accidents in time Of
peace.
shock. or wound-shock. as it is
often called. has long hahled the
medical profession" Dr Cannon
said today to the Associated Press
on being asked to describe the re-
suits Of his important work in
France.
This condition. which by the way
should not be confused with she'll
shock, an entirely different phenom-
enon. usually develops some hours
after a serious wound or accident.
1t frequently followed grave shell
wounds In the war. and often comes
on after "a person has been seriously
hurt in an accident in times of peace.
after. for example. he has had
limb crushed in railroad accident.
"a man in state OF shock usually
lies perfectly quiet, his skin is cold
and moist with sweat his pulse is
rapid and thready. his arterial pres
sure is much reduced. he breathes
rapidly and superhcially. and. al
though not paralyzed. he has little
energy and his mind is duiled He
often complains OF being cold and
thirsty. This condition may be fol-
lowed by death or by gradual recov-
cry.
There have been numerous
theories Of the nature Of shock !
Some doctors held that shock result |
ed from nervous collapse; other
that it came from a clogging Of blood :
vessels by fat from wounds; some
that it was due to paralysis Of the
nerves controlling the arteries; 9TH
ers that the adrenal gland was some
how affected so as to do the mis-
chief, and so on.
"Our work in France gave us op-
portunities to study shock in the ut
most detail. one by one we threw
out the theories advanced i'm former
years
we finally tested and established
the fact that the condition results
from the tearing or crushing Of mus
cles or other tissues by missiles mov-
ing with terrific velocity The dam
aged or dead tissue soon becomes
toxic or, in other words. acts like a
sort Of poison. This toxin causes
an increased permeablity of the
smallest blood vessels, the capillaries.
and thus there is lost through their
walls quantities OF the fluid portion
Of the blood which should be in cir
culation. The result is somewhat
similar to that OF great loss OF blood
from the body"
American. British and French
medical and surgical officers coop
Grated in the Investigations. some of
which were made az Bethune i'm
1917. some I'm London and others at
Dion in 1918 in a laboratory OF the
American Expeditionary Force un-
der Dr. Gannon's direction.
Toward the end Of the war we
had learned much about methods Of
treating such cases. finding that it
was helpful to keep tho patient ann
ply warm, to give him quantities OF
water and. IL necessary, TO transfusc
blood into his system from somebody
else's", he said
"The mass of information about
shock which was collected during the
war and will ultimately be publish
ed is going 10 prove useful IN times
of peace. for the condition often
develops after accidents OF various
kinds in which there is extensive
tearing or crushing OF tissues and
physicians will now be able to handle
such cases more effectively than ever
before"
DR.. Cannon is now engaged at the
Harvard physiological laboratory in
studies Of the functions OF the thy
roid gland following his discoveries
in recent years concerning the adj
renal glands.
Il. -