On Sat, 6 Jan 2001, Spike Jones wrote:
> We have discussed the possibility of keeping a head alive
> without a body, with inconclusive results. But could a
> body theoretically be kept "alive" without a head? If
Its been done in dogs (I think):
Surgery 1970 Jul;68(1):48-53 Related Articles, Books
Preparation and performance of a non-central nervous system animal.
White RJ, Austin J, Austin P, Iacobescu M, Yashon D
PMID: 4987354, UI: 70215102
Medline doesn't seem to have an abstract, but I've got a copy of the paper
around here somewhere. I'll see if I can find it, and get you the
details. I seem to remember that it did OK for at least a few days.
steve
> for instance a sophisticated medical team wished to keep
> organs for later transplantation, could they whack off the
> head {for freezing purposes} sew the big neck arteries
> into the big neck veins, sew a pipe onto the trachea, force
> air in and out, occasionally insert a smaller tube inside the
> air tube, squirt in premasticated food, etc.
>
> Would the decapitated heart continue to beat? Would
> the digestive system continue to digest? spike
>
>
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