184 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I667. 



in which her spleen was cut out, without tying up the vessels whence that viscus 

 was separated. Since which time (even before the wound was healed up) she 

 took dog, was with puppy, brought forth whelps, and remains well and jocund. 

 Some reasons are then assigned why philosophers in England were backward in 

 performing the experiment of transfusion upon men, upon whom Mons. Denis 

 of Paris was the first to make the trial ; a circumstance of great exultation to 

 the French. Mr. Oldenburg observes that the English are more tender in ha- 

 zarding the life of a fellow creature, and that the law also among us is more^ 

 strict and jealous in cases of this nature. Yet, he adds, it was a matter that' 

 had been in preparation several months since, and that the following method of 

 operating was agreed upon, as suggested by Dr. Edmund King, and described 

 by him in the following letter. 



Sir, 



The method of transfusing blood you have seen practised, with facility 

 enough, from beast to beast; and we have things in readiness to transfuse 

 blood from the artery of a lamb, kid, or what other animal may be thought 

 proper, into the vein of a man. We have been ready for this experiment these 

 six months, and wait for nothing but good opportunities, and the removal of 

 some considerations of a moral nature. I gave you a view, you may remember, 

 a good while ago, of the instruments which I think very proper for the experi- 

 ment, which are only a silver tube, with a silver stopper somewhat blunted at 

 one end, and flatted at the other, for conveniency of handling, used already 

 upon beasts with good success. The way in short is this : After the artery is 

 prepared in the lamb, kid, &c. let a ligature be made upon the arm, &c. of a 

 man (hard enough to render the vein turgid) in the place you intend to insert 

 the lesser end of the silver pipe, which is so fitted, that the silver stopper thrust 

 into the tube reaches somewhat by its blunt end beyond one of the ends of that 

 tube. This done, divide the skin of the part in the same manner that is used 

 in cutting an issue, just over the vein to be opened. Then with a fine lance 

 open the vein ; or, if you please, in case the vein lie fair and high (especially if 

 the skin be fine) you may open both together, according to the usual way of 

 letting blood. Which .done, let an assistant clap his finger, or a little bol- 

 ster prepared beforehand, or the like, upon the vein, a little below the orifice, 

 to hinder the blood from ascending. Keeping that position, insert the blunt- 

 ended tube upwards into the vein ; when it is in, hold it and the skin close to- 

 gether between your finger and thumb. Then pull out of the tube the stopper, 

 and insert the pipe by which the arterial blood is to be infused from the emit* 



