Calcium Versus Magnesium. 



3 5 



existing in plant physiology ; the retardation of growth on account 

 of the presence of too much magnesium in the soil is promptly 

 corrected by the addition of a calcium salt ; the process is termed 

 " liming." In animals, therefore, as well as in plants calcium is 

 antagonistic to magnesium. 



19 (275) 



Remote result of the transplantation of a segment of popliteal 

 artery from a man to a bitch. 



By ALEXIS CARREL. 



[From the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.'] 



I have shown that a segment of carotid artery of a dog trans- 

 planted onto the aorta of a cat can act as artery for one year at least. 

 In order to ascertain whether the same result is obtainable when 

 the animals are zoologically more distinct than cat and dog, seg- 

 ments of human arteries have been transplanted in dogs. One of 

 these animals was shown to the Society. 



Seven months and twelve days ago, the abdominal aorta of the 

 bitch shown to the society was severed, and a short segment of 

 human popliteal artery was sutured to its cut ends. This popliteal 

 artery belonged to a young man whose thigh was amputated by 

 Dr. Ellsworth Eliot for an osteosarcoma. The vessel had been 

 preserved in Locke's solution and kept in cold storage during the 

 twenty four days which elapsed between the amputation and the 

 transplantation. 



After the transplantation, the bitch remained in excellent health 

 and the pulse of the femoral arteries was normal. Five months 

 and twelve days after the operation, an exploratory laparotomy 

 was performed. The circulation of the aorta was found normal 

 and the popliteal artery in about the same condition as at the time 

 of the operation. Seven months and twelve days after the oper- 

 ation, the pulse of the femoral arteries is still normal. 



This experiment shows that an artery, transplanted under 

 certain conditions from man to dog, can act as artery for seven 

 months at least. 



