What has vivisection done for science? : a paper read before the Cheltenham Natural Science Society / by Francis Day.

  • Day, Francis, 1829-1889.
Date:
[between 1870 and 1879?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: What has vivisection done for science? : a paper read before the Cheltenham Natural Science Society / by Francis Day. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    6/16 (page 6)
    The next great discovery or rather innovation in treatment which I shall refer to, was in that of aneurisms. The old method was to sacrifice the limb, but Hunter, who made many experiments on the vessels of the lower animals, came to the conclusion that cures might be effected by tying the vessel between the lieart and the seat of the disease. But thick and broad threads were em- ployed, tapes, reserve ligatures, cylinders of cork and wood, linen compresses, and all sorts of contrivances against bleeding, which believed securities, merely increased the chances of hsemorrhage. Jones did not point out any new fact, but scientifically investi- gated the whole subject. By means of experiments he ascertained the causes of this secondary haemorrhage, and he found out the best means for procuring obliteration of the artery. If science had to wait solely for observation on men, such could only be made after the patient had fallen a sacrifice to the want of assistance, or imperfect knowledge of the surgeon. Sir Astley Cooper, by experiments on the lower animals, as- certained the possibility of tying some of the largest arteries in the body, in fact, he operated and with success upon the aorta of a dog. This gave a fresh impetus to those operations, conclusively showing that it was possible to ligature a vessel some distance from the aflected spot. The torsion of arteries w-as discovered in a similar way, when instead of ligatures being used, the vessel is twisted, by means of a pair of forceps, in a peculiar manner, and this twisting com- pletely secures the end of the vessel and prevents bleeding. Transfusion of blood was ascertained entirely from vivisections on the lower animals. The first experiments were tried by trans- fusion from one animal into another, and then into man: and a long course of experiments were performed which have shown us this,—that transfusion of blood may certainly save the lives of a considerable number of persons who would otherwise die. It is therefore now resorted to in every necessary case : but of course the experiments on animals led to a great many precautions being found necessary, the overlooking of which would be f;\tal in the case of man. Thus, if air is injected, immediate death ensues, and clots may occasion the same result. It was by experiments that it became proved (1670) that at mos- pheric air is a necessity for the maintenance of lile, that animals become stupified on its being withdrawn, reviving on its being readmitted. That respiration only acts upon the oxygen contained in the air (1775-80). That the Srh pair of nerves is concerned in the functions of deglutition, respiration and cardiac action. In 1662 Aselius (Italian) first discovered the lacicah. They are very minute, with thin walls, and cannot be seen unless distended either with chyle or injection : the former only being present during digestion. He found them in a dog but could not comprehend thir direction nor their course. Ho supposed they ended in the liver.