Evening star., 1940-06-14
Oxygen Starvation
Of Brain Found Cause
OF Many Deaths
Heretofore Believed
Blood CIots, Medical
Association Is Told
BY THOMAS r. HENRY,
Sal Staff CnrresnnndAn,

starvation of the brain is the cause
of many deaths hitherto blindly
aseribed to blood clots hitting vital
centers during surgical operations.
This was demonstrated before the
American Medical Association here
today in a series of demonstrations
of the unsuspected dangers of allow
ing the fire of life to burn too low
for any extended period.
The condition is known as anoxia.
1T now is becoming apparent, it was
shown in an exhibit of Drs. Albert
and Moses Behrend and Helena F..
Riggs of Philadelphia. that it is
widespread, probably the cause of
many vague illnesses, and a con-
slant danger whenever a patient is
brought to the operating table.
Declared Constant Condition.
1t is constant condition, they
pointed out, in anemia when there
is scarcity of the red blood cells
whose primary job is to carry oxy-
gen, in heart maladies where that
organ is unable to pump sufficient
blood, and at high attitudes where
there is not enough oxygen in the
air. 1t also is frequent in cases of
vitamin B and C deficiencies and in
acute alcoholism when the cells lack
the sparks to ignite the oxygen
which is brought to them.
In such cases the oxygen is just
SUFFICIENT to keep life's fires smoul-
dering. When there is a quick re-
duction in the already inadequate
supply death is the result. The
worst offenders are pain-killing
drugs such as morphine, the Phila-
delphia doctors said.
When the oxygen in the blood is
cut below the minimum limit, they
pointed out, the first to suffer is the
brain, the torch of the body, which
normally requires as much as 80
per cent more of this gas of life
than any other organ. One of the
first indications is excessive thirst.
Commissions may follow with perma-
nent damage to the brain cells. The
end result is coma and death.
In surgery, they urged, physicians
should first determine the oxygena-
tion state of the patient. This now
can be accomplished quickly by an
instrument known as the oxyhemo-
globinograph, which records the
transmission of light through some
translucent tissue. It is essential,
they pointed out, that patients with
an oxygen deficiency be treated
with heavy doses of vitamins before
an operation and also that an
anesthetic be used with which
lot OF oxygen can be combined.
Childbirth Dangers.
There is grave danger, it was
stressed, in the use of excessive
amounts of pain-killing drugs in
childbirth Many of these are no.
torious interferers with cell oxida-
ton. The unborn child depends FOR
ITS oxygen on the blood stream of
the mother 1t also is an extremely
sensitive organism for which ma
ture seems to have afforded barely
sufficient supply. The result of any
sharp reduction, it was stressed, is
either to cause the death of the
infant or to bring about irreparable
damage to the developing cells of
the brain.
LockjaW usually kills from so to 70
per cent of its victims.
Without any new remedy but
with new method of management
of such cases the mortality can be
reduced below 80 per cent, Drs.
Hyman I. Vener and Albert G.
Bower of Los Angeles reported to
the association.
Their method is to administer a
minimum dose of tetanus antitoxin
within from "a to 36 hours after the
lockjaw is reported, they said After
that they refrain from disturbing the
patient for 10 days to two weeks,
except for giving a small dose of
the antitoxin every four days.
Most important, they stressed, is
to keep the victim shielded from
every unnecessary noise. The
slightest disturbance may cause
convulsions which will end in death.
The best results, they said, were
obtained with children Even with
the utmost precautions they could
not lower the death rate among
adult women. Men responded a
little better.
Causes of Goiter.
Goiter is disease caused by over
secretion from the thyroid gland. 1t
is often, but not always accompanied
by the weird-appearing protrusion
of the eye-balls known as exotha1-
mus. 1t has been presumed hitherto
that this also was caused by the
thyroid oversecretion.
Actually, DR.. Robert B. Aird of
San Francisco reported to the asso-
citation, the effect on the eyes is due
to secretion of the pituitary gland
at the base of the brain. This secre-
ton also causes the thyroid to be-
come overactive, but the two effects
are not necessarily related
Large thyroid injections failed
to produce exothalmus, DR.. Aird re-
ported, while the eyes of expert
mental animals were not protruded
by the thyroid secretion.
The soldiers of the body are the
white blood cells. Whenever there
is an invasion by hostile bacteria
they rush to the place, die by the
millions in mass formation attacks,
and usually succeed in repelling the
enemy This constantly alert army
Is produced in the marrow of the
bone. Every now and then a pa
tient is found with very made
Quate force of them.
There are four reasons for this,
DR.. John S. Lawrence of Rochester.
N. Y, told the physicians. Some
times the bone marrow simply fails
to produce them because of some
inherent deficiency. But often, DR..
Lawrence said, he has found that
the whole force is being used to
fight some obscure infection in the
body, like a fifth column" so that
there is no army left to attack the
main invading force.
Also, he said, white cells may be