An Ethical Problem; Or, Sidelights Upon Scientific Experimentation on Man and Animals

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 edition. Excerpt: ...are not informed; all we know is that it was reduced to shock. The sciatic nerve was exposed, the artery in the neck laid bare, and the instrument for measuring the bloodpressure carefully adjusted. Ether, we are told, was used. Was all sensibility thereby wholly suppressed? Let us see what is revealed by the changes of the bloodpressure.1 10.30 a.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Slow rise in bloodpressure. 10.35 a.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Rise of blood-pressure. 10.51a.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Rise of blood-pressure. 11.30 a.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Rise of blood-pressure 13 millimetres. 11.59 a.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Rise of blood-pressure 5 millimetres. 1 In all experiments cited in this chapter the italics are not in the original descriptions. Noon has come. It is the hour when experimenters need their accustomed refreshment, and we note a long interval during which there were no observations. The victim lies stretched upon the rack. After nearly two hours the pastime began again, or, we may say, the young scientists resumed their arduous labours. 1.55 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Abrupt rise of bloodpressure 17 millimetres. 3.3 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Rise of 14 millimetres. 4.44 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. Rise of 2 millimetres. The little animal is growing weaker. For more than six hours it has been on the rack. The play upon its nervous system is about over. At five o'clock the dog died. The full details of this experiment do not here concern us, and are not given. Whether useful or not is another matter. Pain, said Professor Langley, would cause a rise of blood-pressure. Did not the blood-pressure rise when this creature's nerve was stimulated? Experiment 114. In this experiment four dogs were...