Many events described in the novels of science fiction writers have turned into reality over time. The same can be said about the work of Alexander Belyaev "The Head of Professor Dowell". For a long time, scientists have been looking for a way to restore individual organs and the body as a whole to life. In 1928, Sergey Bryukhonenko succeeded. The dog's head, separated from the body, lived its own life.
FANTASTIC REALITY
Scientists around the world have long been looking for ways to keep isolated organs alive and revitalize the body. Physiologist A. Kulyabko in 1902 was able to revive the human heart a day after it stopped, though not for long. He also owns successful experiments on reviving an isolated fish head.
The vital activity of the fish brain was carried out due to the circulation of saline through the vessels. At the same time, the fish could open and close its mouth, move its eyes. But heart-lung machines were imperfect then, so experiments with more highly organized creatures failed.
Sergey Bryukhonenko succeeded in fulfilling the fantastic plans of scientists.
Bryukhonenko was born on May 12, 1890 in Michurinsk (formerly Kozlov). From childhood, Sergei was distinguished by a lively mind and ingenuity. As a teenager, he designed the bicycle himself. But he was more attracted to natural sciences. And after school, he entered the Faculty of Natural Sciences at Moscow University, and later transferred to the medical department.
In the First World War, he went to the front as a military doctor. Perhaps, then, seeing the severe wounds, Bryukhonenko thought about an apparatus capable of supporting life during operations. In 1919, the scientist continued his research activities, first in a therapeutic clinic on the basis of Moscow University, and then in the laboratory of the Central Institute of Hematology and Blood Transfusion.
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A tireless workaholic, Bryukhonenko literally lived in a laboratory. And his efforts were crowned with success. Finally, a heart-lung machine was created - an auto-light that has no analogues in the world.
But this was not enough for the scientist. He wanted to create a medical device that would support not only blood circulation, but also life. His laboratory was clearly not for the faint of heart. A casual visitor could faint from the sight of dissected animals and severed heads, which remained alive.
It was necessary to create a device that would supply the body not with saline solution, but with oxygenated blood. After all, cardiac surgeons, in order to perform heart surgery, need to turn it off. This means that a device that can take over the functions of the heart and lungs during surgery is very important.
The first model of such a device appeared in 1925 and looked very frightening: just a pile of parts and devices mounted on a tripod. In fact, the apparatus consisted of two diaphragmatic pumps, performing the work of two circles of blood circulation. And also a reservoir for blood and a system of rubber tubes, which played the role of blood vessels, with the help of which blood was pumped out and pumped.
PRICE OF SUCCESS
Bryukhonenko conducted his research on dogs. With the help of experimental models of his apparatus, he kept the organs removed from their bodies alive. And, I must say, successfully. The hearts in the reservoirs were beating, and the lungs performed their function of exchanging oxygen for carbon dioxide.
But the most shocking achievement was the detached dog's head from the body, which remained alive. And the dog's brain did not stop its activity. In the 40s of the last century, a documentary film about the work of the scientist "Experiments on the revitalization of the body" was shot. It can still be found on the Internet, although it is an unpleasant sight.
The entire experiment is shown in the film from start to finish. At first, Bryukhonenko's assistants put the newly cut off head on a special table, then they connected pumps and pipes to it. After that, a check of the vital functions of the head began.
In bright light, the pupils narrowed, the eyes followed the movement of the light, the eyelids blinked with a breath. The ears trembled from the impact of the loud sound, and the tongue licked the nose at pungent odors. The dog's head readily opened its mouth for the proposed treat, and if it was inedible, then pushed it out with its tongue.
One might not believe the film, but Bryukhonenko demonstrated all this in September 1925 at a congress of pathologists in Moscow. And there were quite a few witnesses of what was happening.
And that is not all. The scientist was able to revive a dead dog. Initially, laboratory technicians pumped out all the blood from the animal, after which the dog was dead for about 10 minutes. Then she was connected to an auto-light, and she came to life. Cardiac activity was restored, shine appeared in the eyes, etc.
In the film, a statement was made that the animal, after all the tests, continued to live its usual life and died a natural death. However, here the creators of the picture were lying. The brain could not remain fully functional after oxygen deprivation, as evidenced by the laboratory records. The life of the experimental animal was limited to a few days.
Today, such experiments, thanks to animal protectors, are impossible. Public opinion condemns more harmless experiments. Nevertheless, "nightmarish" research has benefited humanity in the field of medicine.
DEMIKHOV
Lavras of Sergei Bryukhonenko did not give rest to other scientists. Vladimir Demikhov in the 50s of the XX century, while working on organ transplantation, created and presented to the world a dog with two heads. He did it this way: the head of a puppy was sewn onto the body of an adult dog along with a fragment of the neck. At the same time, he filmed his experiments on a movie camera and did not hesitate to demonstrate it.
Demikhov believed that maintaining life in an isolated human head is also quite realistic, but empirically, of course, there was no way to prove this.
But in the history of medicine there is still information about such experiments, one of a kind. Two German neurosurgeons in the 1980s supported life in a human head separated from the body for 20 days.
CALLED LAZARUS
In the 1930s, experiments by physiologist Robert Cornish made a splash in the United States. He, like Bryukhonenko, was looking for ways to maintain artificial blood circulation. Only did it in his own way.
An experimental dog was injected with anticoagulants and adrenaline, after which its dead body was rocked to "invigorate" the blood. Strange, of course, but the animal came to life as a result of these manipulations. With a peculiar American humor, Cornish gave his pets the same name - Lazarus. By analogy with the biblical character.
However, his Lazari, like the experimental dogs of Bryukhonenko, received damage to the neurons of the brain during a short-term death and soon died. At that time in the USA, unlike the USSR, they were already engaged in the protection of animals. Therefore, Bryukhonenko got the laurels of the winner, and Cornish lost his credibility and work at the university.
Nevertheless, 10 years later, the American scientist Robert White, who was working on organ transplantation, "built" a dog with two brains. By this White wanted to show that the brain is "immunologically blind", that is, unlike other organs, the recipient's body will not reject it.
And in the 70s of the last century he managed to "fit" the head of one monkey on the body of another. True, not everything went smoothly: it was not possible to completely recreate the nervous system, so everything below the neck remained motionless in the animal. Although the brain activity has been preserved. The monkey tried to bite, swallow food and roll its eyes.
Alexandra ORLOVA, magazine "Mysteries of the XX century" No. 5, 2017