TOPICS.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12402, 18 November 1908, Page 4

TOPICS.

SURGICAL SKILL. Dr. Adolf Posner, of Berlin University, some months ago startled ho scientific world by stating that ;urgery had advanced to a point vhich made it possible to transfer tho oad of one human being to the neck ■f another. Many men of science ! gred that the operation was thcootically possible, but poiirtcd out hat nobody had succeeded in perirmmg it on any of the higher aniials. Until such time as a vivirfctionist should succeed in grafting living head on a living body withut killing the grafted animal science ovid not consider the operation seriusly. Now comes the statement by he -American doctor that he took the cad of one dog and joined it to the '.eck of- another. The body with the ■urango head lived for 26 minutes, 'nrrng that time it was demonstrat•l that the new head had come into immumcation with the body The "art pumped blood through the join■l arteries in tho neck, and nourished he head and brain. These, in return •lit nervous impulses to tho organs t the body, and maintained its func;ons for 26 minutes. The fact that ie composite dog lived was wondcril enough, and removed the scientio onjections to Dr. Posner's stateor.is, but the dog did more than retiring those 26 minutes. The -^turo was conscious during tho iCi pprl ° d - a "d proved it unmisikablv. Many of these most start"r of surpery arc caro"Hv guarded secrets. Operations on ■urn an sijbjccts arc sometimes known "lv t-o tho medical fraternity out of -spoct to tho patient's wishes A 'an may not wish it generally known hat ho looks upon tho world with no oye of a rabbit.