WORN-OUT HEARTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 July 1931, Page 4

WORN-OUT HEARTS

DISCOVERY BY SCIENTIST. The astonishing statement that the day may come when a person’s diseased or worn-out heart may be replaced as simply as a decayed tooth or an amputated limb is replaced today was -made recently at a meeting of the American Society of Experimental Biologists held at Montreal, and it is learned that, experiments to this end have already been made to England. In a paper read to the meeting by Professor R. H. Stehle, of McGill University a mechanical pump system used for performing the function of the heart was described and rubber hearts were also mentioned. It was stated that a doctor had succeeded, by means of artificial hearts, in keeping cats alive for long periods. A prominent London heart specialist has informed the “Daily Herald” that experiments tor replacing the heart’s action by artificial means have been going on for some time. "Whether it can ever be done is another matter,” he says, “though I shouldn’t care to say that, it- cannot. It. is probably only a question of time. The main difficulty, of course, is that of keeping the patient, alive while the transference is belin.g made. Cases in whic lithe- heart, has been washed, massaged and even stitched have occurred, but I have never heard of one in which a part of the has been replaced artificially.” Another doctor said: “There are people walking about in England today who speak by means of an artificial larynx. There are others —mostly soldiers who suffered terrible facial injuries in the war —who have faces which have been built up artificially by the surgeon's skill. "That being so, I can see no fundamental reason why artificial heai ts should not be made and transplanted ore dav. The same applies to other vital organs of the human body. “It would be wrong, however, to hold out to heart sufferers any immediate prospect of such a cure. All that I can say is that experiments in this direction offer most interesting possibilities and should be pursued. “Paralysis may occur in many parts of the body without shortening the life of the sufferer. But if it occurs oven in a minor way in the lieait, death swiftly follows.”