Keeping Severed Heads Alive

[Mother Sanity (JackieRodzinski)]

Certain Individuals (Dougie) have indicated that perhaps we are repeating ourselves in our discussions regarding the Middle East (see graphic). So lets talk about something we can really sink our teeth into.

During the inception of the guillotine, scientists began by attempting to attach the severed heads of the executed onto the bodies of animals. In his book (and supported elsewhere), If We Can Keep a Severed Head Alive, Chet Fleming discusses historical efforts as well as current efforts to keep severed heads (usually monkeys) and brains, isolated from bodies (except for the circulatory system), alive.

 He cites several examples, experiments performed by Robert White, MD. In one, the head of a small monkey was severed and grafted onto the side of the neck of a large monkey. In another, the head of one monkey was severed and grafted onto the neck of another decapitated monkey. The heads regained consciousness, their eyes were open (and following objects), their mouths moved for a period of up to 36 hours.

There's more. I wont bore you with the details; if interested, buy the book.

Why would this subject be of interest? Well, in cases of brain cancer or traumatic decapitation, it's  generally accepted that, rather that transplant a brain, it would be more practical to transplant an entire head. And whats the big deal, really? We do liver transplants, kidney transplants, even heart transplants, without giving the matter a second thought.

Or consider this:  suppose you are elderly, dieing, but you have a healthy brain. Perhaps for a fee, physicians (or other aspiring entrepreneurs,..hey! Dougie!) could keep your brain alive, discard your dieing body, until a suitable, new model came along. Remember cryogenics and the people who paid  mega bucks to have their bodies frozen and maintained, until sometime in the future, when the ailment they expired of, could be alleviated. Walt Disney is one of the more famous customers.

So if youre sick of the wars, Mexico, BP and oil spills, what forum individuals might be up to, or looking at nuke graphics, perhaps you might consider this question: Is it ethical, practical, is the research generated from, keeping severed heads alive, valid? Since it's been done with monkeys, the next obvious step is humans. Maybe it's already happened, maybe it's happening now. Should it be? Can anything really be done to stop it?

Love to All! Mother Sanity

[Bob Stepp]

Would BlueCross and Blue Shield cover it?
Would it be an "out patient" procedure?
What if the body didn't like it's new brain and stuck a knife up it's nose?
Who would be prosecuted?
Would a 20 year old body be satisfied with a 70 year old brain?
Many questions and dastardly situations abound.
Do i take all this seriously?.......
...no more than I take Pru's fear of wabbits seriously....;-D
This would be a wonderful scenerio to submit to Mythbusters...

[Mother Sanity (JackieRodzinski)]

no, no, it'd be good'n'dead, suicide, varies, Damn right you should take this seriously.
No, seriously, there are neurosurgeons who are very interested in this proceedure. The research I cited, (which was real) was done by neurosurgeons.

As for the rabbits, everywhere I go I see rabbits. I wonder what the tuleremia season is for them, here, on the east coast...Perhaps I should shoot and eat them.
MotherSanity

[Doesn't Matter]

I'm wondering what recourse one would have if these neurosurgeons accidentally sewed a head on backwards ? Ya might wanna think about THAT lil' Miss entrepreneur :) Hey,.....I know. We could promise the volunteers 72 virgins if things didn't work out :)

[Mother Sanity (JackieRodzinski)]

Actually, I thought I'd be a good samaritan and help Dougie get a job. The fact is that they have sewn TWO heads onto one animal. Brain waves were recorded and there (strongly) appeared what could easily be interpreted as response to physical stimuli.

(neener neener neener)
Miss (employed, ha ha) Entrepreneur

[Doesn't Matter]

I don't doubt that Jackie. Just playing with ya :) I did like the "helping Dougie get a job" line....lol

[CWO3ROBBIE]

This begs for satire, but i'll refrain. The big difference between this and other transplants is that the other organs(as far as we currently know) do not have the power to reason about what is being done.

[Snagg]

Well, Darn It - Once the rich people start doing it, then EVERYBODY will want to do it, and that creates some mental images that I'd rather not think about.

[Slayer Dug]

Well damn, let's resurrect the brains of Hitler and JFK and see what they have to say....aren't they locked away in a jar of formaldehyde in the same warehouse as the Ark of the Covenant?!!!? :-P

[Mother Sanity (JackieRodzinski)]

formaldehyde wont work. it kills stuff.

[Mother Sanity (JackieRodzinski)]

LOL Snagg. I like it. Lets fly with that!

[Mother Sanity (JackieRodzinski)]

Ah, but they do. They perform their little jobs, respond to adverse events and even die on schedule.

[CWO3ROBBIE]

See. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/37754426/ns/us_news-life/