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From: jmpiazza@cedar.buffalo.edu (Joseph M. Piazza)
Subject: Re: THE INCREASING HUMAN LIFE SPAN
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References: <lev.787892156@ariel.ucs.unimelb.edu.au> <3d7lbt$s0j@milo.mcs.anl.gov> <hubey.788034655@pegasus.montclair.edu> <1994Dec21.205619.5548@news.media.mit.edu> <brumstik.54.0078E372@interaccess.com>
Date: Fri, 23 Dec 1994 18:21:54 GMT
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In article <brumstik.54.0078E372@interaccess.com>,
brumstik@interaccess.com (broomstick) wrote:

> In article <1994Dec21.205619.5548@news.media.mit.edu>
minsky@media.mit.edu [...]
> 
> What's changed?  1) modern sanitation, 2) antibiotics, 3) better
nutrition, 4) 
> immunizations, 5) anesthesia.
> 
[...]
> 
> 5)  anesthesia - this allowed modern surgery to develop.  Its hard to remove 
> even an appendix when you need a dozen or so brawny assistants to hold down a 
> thrashing, conscious patient.  Once you can knock someone out in relative 
> safety you can do all sorts of things - open heart surgery, organ
transplants, 
> repair of major bullet holes, etc. ...

    I watched a Nova episode on this subject.  There are a number of
problems that anesthesia solves.  For instance, even with a dozen brawny
assistants your patient would still probably die without antesthetic
because of shock (and not the "Oh, my!" variety. :-)  Anesthesia also
involves paralyzing a patient to prevent damage to muscle tissue while
rigid and in many cases to give the surgeon a stationary target.

    It is also significant that anesthesia is last on your list because it
was indeed one of the final keys to modern surgery.  For example, without
antibiotics -- or least a sterile environment -- even a successful surgery
would almost invariably result in death due to infection.

    Fun stuff.

Flip side,

    joe piazza

-- 
"Superstition beyond belief" -- N. Merchant

jmpiazza@cedar.Buffalo.edu
CEDAR, University at Buffalo, UB Commons 14228-2567
