Evening star., 1948-10-29
Stors, Men and Atoms %. IN
New Operation Provides
Heart With Extra Arterv
Method Developed in Treating
Victims of Angina Pectoris
By Thomas r, Henry

by lh0MaS N. Henry
surgical operation has been devised which
provides the human heart with an extra artery,
This was described at the Naval Medical
Center. Bethesda, Wednesday night by DR.,
Claude g. Beck Of Western Reserve University,
who has developed the so-called "revasculariza-
ton procedure to the point where it can be
applied with some benefit to human victims
OF angina pectoris and coronary thrombosis
The heart muscle receives its blood supply
BY way of two coronary arteries These are
the f1rst branches that run of the aorta, the
great artery which carries blood away from the
heart These two arteries are less than an
eighth OF an inch in diameter, but probably
are the most important blood channels in the
body Disease In these arteries causes more
than twice as many deaths each year as
cancer. The heart cannot get along without
req blood that has been purified in the lungs
Worked on Dogs.
As far back as 1882, Dr. Beck and his asso-
ciates began to look for additional supplies
OF red blood for the heart. They worked with
dogs. One way was to graft tissues such as
tat with good blood supply to the surface Of
tne neart with the expectation that the blood
vessels would grow across the heart muscle.
This proved indifferently successful and after
After the red blood goes through the arteries
IN the heart 1t seeps into the capillaries which
carry it to all parts of the heart tissue where
it gives up its oxygen. Then it seeps from the
capillaries into larger blood vessels which carry
1t away from the heart toward the lungs to be
repurified and supplied with oxygen
Escapes in Two Ways.
The blue, impure blood can escape In two
ways. 1t can seep directly into the cavities Of
the heart or it can flow through a system Of
veins into one large vein which returns 1t to
the venous blood from the rest of the body
This large vein can be tied off, DR.. Beck
found, leaving only one method-but usually an
adequate one-for the escape OF the blue"
or impure blood
The vein then can be converted into an extra
artery and used as an additional inlet for pure,
red blood. The additional blood supply mads
possible by this method, Dr. Beck says, does
the heart great deal of good. 1t can even
keep the heart beating after one of the main
arteries has been plugged up. 1t serves as an
additional source of oxygen.
The work still is in an experimental stage,
but up to now, DR.. Beck says results have been
good Angina pectoris victims in particular,
appear to have been helped.
First precise measurements of the strength Of
human bone, determined in the same man
ner as that of structural steel or wooden rafters,
have just been reported by Bureau of Stand.
ards scientists.
First they determined the strength Of bone
In resisting compression. 1t is about fourth
that of cast iron, but more than twice thai
Of the best hickory wood The long bones Of
the body have only about tenth the elasticity
Of STEEL but equal most timbers. They can
stand compression of approximately $4,000
pounds to square inch.
Bone must be considered, the bureau re-
port says, as an elastic, brittle material about
halfway in strength between wood and iron.
Studies are being made to determine sons
correlation between the X-ray absorption Of
bone and its capacity to Withstand stresses.
This might give quick method of testing the
strength of any bone at any time
Research has been carried out in co-opera.
ton with the Navy medical department. Re-
cent developments in high-speed aircraft have
caused crews to be subjected to bone-breaking
shocks IN ordinary fight as well as in acci-
dents. 1t is essential to know just how much
the human frame can stand before these de-
velopments can be carried much further.
1t also is hoped that the work will lead to
better protective devices. Many instances are
known of aircraft and other vehicles crash
ing to complete destruction, with occupants
emerging relatively unharmed. Study of the
precise strength of bones, it is hoped, will
provide an explanation for this