50 ANIMAL EXPERIMENTATION 



(2) Experiments upon the thoracic organs the heart, 

 the lungs, the esophagus, and the bony walls of the thorax 

 to determine the possibility of operating directly upon 

 these structures without causing death. 



A few of the possible truths which, for the promotion 

 of thoracic surgery, we wish demonstrated upon the lower 

 animals are : 



(rt) The feasibility of removing a portion of diseased 

 lung how much lung can be sacrificed without causing 

 the death of a dog, in order, for example, that we may 

 remove the focus of a tubercular lung from a human being. 



(b) The possibility of exposing the bronchial tubes for 

 the purpose of removing foreign bodies accidentally in- 

 haled, after the failure of the ordinary methods through 

 the mouth and trachea. 



(c) The possibility of operating directly upon the heart 

 in stabs, in gunshot wounds, and in disease --the extent to 

 which we can expose the heart for exploration of pos- 

 sible lesions without causing the death of the patient 

 from the exploration alone. 



(d) The possibility of operating upon the thoracic por- 

 tion of the esophagus through the back. I have been 

 asked recently to operate upon an esophageal diverticu- 

 lum situated near the stomach. Anatomically the opera- 

 tion is possible upon the human being, but I do not believe 

 that it can be successfully performed upon the living 

 mammal. Shall we try it first upon the patient or upon 

 the dog? 



(ji) The extent to which thoracic explorations can be 

 carried without too great immediate danger. How far can 

 I follow, for example, a tumor of the neck pressing upon 

 the lung; how much of the thoracic wall am I justified 

 in removing in malignant disease of that wall? Shall I 

 sit idly by and see a patient bleed to death from a wound 

 of the heart, lung, or thoracic blood-vessels, or shall I 



