Animals whose Thoracic Organs were Operated upon. 27 



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Demonstration of animals whose thoracic organs have been 



operated upon. 



By ALEXIS CARREL. 



[From the Laboratories of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical 

 Research, New York.~\ 



The animals have been operated upon by the method of 

 Meltzer. At first, a few relatively simple experiments were per- 

 formed, such as the resection of a pulmonary lobe, the extirpation 

 of a segment of the middle part of the esophagus, the dissection 

 of the mediastinum by opening the two pleurae and the peri- 

 cardium, and resection of a small part of the superior vena cava 

 and its replacement by a piece of a jugular vein. The animals 

 recovered completely with the exception of one which died of 

 pleurisy a few days after the operation. 



Then I began some researches on the surgery of the thoracic 

 aorta. Six animals were operated on. In three experiments, the 

 upper part of the descending aorta was cut transversely and 

 sutured. The three animals recovered without incident. 



In the fourth experiment, the ascending part of the aorta was 

 cut longitudinally about three centimeters above the heart and 

 sutured. The animal is now in good health. 



The fifth experiment consisted in severing the ascending aorta 

 in its middle part and in interposing between its ends a segment of 

 a large jugular vein, preserved in cold storage. The circulation 

 was interrupted for seventeen minutes. The animal remained in 

 excellent health, but the hind legs became contractured, the 

 animal walking as if it had wooden legs. The contracture 

 decreased progressively. Nevertheless, at the present time, six 

 weeks after the operation, the legs are yet a little stiff. 



Then I performed a sixth experiment with temporary tubing 

 of the aorta in order to avoid medullary complications. The 

 upper part of the descending aorta was laid open by a longi- 

 tudinal incision, and a paraffined tube was inserted into its lumen 

 and temporarily fastened. This small operation involved only a 

 short interruption of the circulation. The circulation was imme- 



