Science.

West Coast Times, Issue 3055, 18 January 1879, Page 2 (Supplement)

Science.

MILK AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR BLOOD TKANSFQ&ION.

Notwithstanding the faot that the possibility of preserving life by means of the introduction of the blood of a healthy individual into the circulation of one suffering either from great loss or impoverishment of the vital fluid has been known from the remotest antiquity, and that the operation of " transfusion " has been praotised with more or less frequency from those periods up to the present time, and often with good results, and despite the fact that nearly every phyaioia'n readily admits the great advantages to be derived from the operation ia many cases, it must be admitted that we hear of remarkably few instanoes where it is resorted to, even by its most strenuous endorses. Even in lar .c cities most of our boldest and most ekiliful surgeons have never ventured to perform the operation, prefeiringto take other chances of saving the patient's life rather than risk the dangers and difficulties attending the transfußion of blood. The great tendency of blood to coagulate, and the known faot that a particle of Berum or of a Bmall quantity of atmospheric air entering the circulation during the prooesß is sufficient to oause death, seems to deter the boldest from hazarding the experiment exoept in desperate oases. Could another vital fluid be. found free from the disadvantages that attend the use of bloed, while possessing all the lifegiving properties of the latter, it is manifest that it would prove a great acquisition to the praotioe of surgery, and tend to make a procedure now little used muoh more popular, with results prolific in good. Dr. T. Gaillard Thomas has communicated to the New York Medical Journal a paper to prove " that in the milk of the cow, aud probably also in that of other mammals, we possess just such: a fluid." Dr. Thomas's paper is given up ohiefly to the presentation of oases in which the injection of milk into the venous blood; as it goes to the heart, has been triad by him upon the human being with matked suooess. 1 But before describing these successful experiments he proceeds to silenoe the prejudice that would naturally arise to suou a proceeding, by pointing out. the iaot that while ohemioally inferior to blood, whioh is identical with the fluid to : be augmented and improved, milk is more allied to ohyle. (the material of wuioh nature makes blood) than any other fluid with whioh we are acquainted; and in 'injecting milk into the veins we are imitating nature very closely in one of her most simple physiological prooeßseea. : Twelve oaseß are nuw on record in which milk has been ioj acted into the general circulation in place of blood, 3 by H.udder, 2 by Howe, 7by Thomas.. Iv one- instanco only did evil results ensue (one of Howe's cases),, and tniß should hardly be considered, since decomposed milk was employed ; and thi-i, like decomposed blood in " transfusion," would almost surely be followed by fatal ounsequenoes. Basing his conclusions, then, upon his experience, and in no degree whatever upon theory, Dr. Tnomas sum* up as follows : 1. The injection of milk into the circulation, in plaoe of blood, iB a. perfectly feasible, safe, and legitimate procedure, enabling us to avoid the dangers and. difficulties of the latter operation. 2. None but milk removed from a healthy cow within a few minutes of the° operation should ba employed. Deoomposed mik, like, coagulated blood, is poisonous, and should not be used. 3. A glass funnel, with a rubber tube attached to it, ending in a small canula, is better, safer, aud more attainable than a more elaborate apparatus, which is apt, in spite of all precautions; to admit air to the circulation. .;.■:.... .-■.■.. 4 4. The intra- venous injeotion of milk is infinitely easier than the transfusion of blood. Any one at all familiar with surgical operations may practise it without fear of great difficulty or of failure. 5. The injection of milk, like that of bloud, is commonly followed by a chill, and zapid and marked rise of temperature ; then t all subsides, and great improvement, suuwb itself in the paiimt's condition. . ,' 6. Laoteal iojeuiions- need not be limited to oases prostrated by hemorrbag-*, but may be employed in disorders wiiioh greatly depreciate blood, the Asiatic oholera, prenicious aneemia, typhoid fever, eto., anJ as a tubotitute , for diseased blood ia certain affdotions which immediately oall for the free use of the laucet, as puerperal convulsions, etc. 7. Not more than eight oanoes of blood should be injected an one operation. . In conclusion, Dr. Thomas states that after lengthy consideration and considerable experience he would ba faiue to his owa Deviations if he did not prediot for " intravenous laoteal in j action" a brilliant and useful futare. . 1

A wrr being asked by a ■ seedy poet whether he thought he had ever written anything that would live, replied, " Before you trouble yourself on that score, I advise* you to write something that will let you live." , . A Miss Joy was present at a party recently, . and in the course oi the evening, someone used the quotation, " A thing of beauty ia a joy for ever," when she exclaimed, "I'm glad I'm not a beauty, for I should not like to be a Joy for ever," • ■ ■-• A sajloe's wife at Portpatrick has just received intelligence that her husband had Eerishedat sea. She wa3 visited by a neighour, who sympathised with her on her loss, ' and expressed a fear that she would he poorly off. "^Deed will I," said the widow ; "but he did all he could for me — he's saved me the expense o' his buryin'." • ■ , When is a young lady vorf like a whale P — When she's pouting.