FURTHER STUDIES ON TRANSPLANTATION OF 

 VESSELS AND ORGANS.^ 



By ALEXIS CARREL. 

 {Read, November 6, 1908.) 



It is known that tissues can be removed from an animal, trans- 

 planted into another animal and live normally in the body of their 

 new owner. The transplantation of anatomical structures has 

 already been, and will be again in the future, used in human sur- 

 gery. For instance, an excellent method of treating an aneurism 

 of the femoral artery would be the extirpation of the diseased part 

 and its replacement by a piece of artery of same caliber. This 

 new artery cannot be taken from an animal and grafted on man, 

 for the serum of an animal is toxic for the cells of an animal of 

 different species. A dog's vessel transplanted on man could pos- 

 sibly perform its arterial functions, but the histological structure 

 of its wall would be deeply modified and accidents could occur. 

 It is probable that arteries from anthropoid ape would be of safer 

 use, because man and ape are closely related from a zoological 

 standpoint. But this w^ould be exceedingly expensive and not prac- 

 tical. It will be safer and simpler to graft on man vessels taken 

 from another man. The vessels can be extirpated from an ampu- 

 tated limb or from the body of a criminal or of a man killed by 

 accident. But it is sure that these cases will not present themselves 

 at the time convenient for the surgeon and his patient. Therefore, 

 it is important .to find a method to store human vessels during the 

 period which will elapse between their extirpation and their graft 

 on the patient. With this view, I have attempted to preserve 

 arteries in a condition of latent life, in order that, after having spent 

 several days or several weeks outside of the body, they can be trans- 

 planted successfully. 



^ From the Laboratories of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research. 



677 



