HISTORY OF TRANSFUSION. 
505 
tightening of the ligature. “ M. Colin practised ligature of 
the oesophagus on fourteen dogs with uniform success* but 
did not draw his ligature too tight. M. Louis Orfila's bad 
success was probably due to his not being cautious in this 
respect ; being zealous to save the labours of his uncle from 
obloquy, he pulled his knots too tightly.” — Gaz. Heb ., 
July 30, 1858. 
HISTORY OF TRANSFUSION. 
The idea of transfusion of blood is very ancient. But 
the ancients, in spite of their facile credulity as to the effect 
of any physiological experiments, were in no condition to 
make the experiment. They were too unacquainted with 
physiology, and with the art of experiment, to know how to 
set about transfusion. Not until the middle of the seven- 
teenth century had a preparation been made for such a trial 
The experiments of Boyle, Graaf, and Fracassati, on the 
injection of various substances into the veins of animals, were 
crowned by those of Lower, who, in 1665, injected blood 
into the veins of a dog. Two years later a bolder attempt 
was made on man. A French mathematician, Denis, assisted 
by a surgeon, having repeated with success the experiments 
of Lower, resolve to extend the new idea. It was difficult to 
get a human patient on whom the plan could be tried ; but 
one evening a madman arrived in Paris quite naked, and he 
was daringly seized by Denis as the fitting subject for the 
new experiment. Eight ounces of calf s-blood were transfused 
into his veins. That night he slept well. The experiment 
was repeated on the succeeding day ; he slept quietly and 
woke sane ! 
Great was the sensation produced by this new success. 
Lower and King were emboldened to repeat it in London. 
They found a healthy man willing to have some blood drawn 
from him and replaced by that of a sheep. He felt the warm 
stream pouring in, and declared that it was so pleasant that 
they might repeat the experiment. The tidings flew over 
Europe. In Italy and Germany the plan was repeated, and 
it now seemed as if transfusion would become one more of the 
“ heroic arms” of medicine. These hopes were soon dashed. 
The patient on whom Denis had operated again went mad, 
was again treated with transfusion, and died during the 
operation. The son of the Swedish minister, who had been 
benefited by one transfusion, perished after a second. A 
xxxi. 67 
