Experiments in the Revival of Organisms
| Experiments in the Revival of Organisms | |
|---|---|
| Release date(s) | 1940 |
| Running time | 19:31 |
| Country |  Soviet Union |
| Language | Russian English |
Experiments in the Revival of Organisms is a 1940 motion picture which documents Soviet research into the resuscitation of clinically dead organisms. It is available from the Prelinger Archives, and it is in the public domain. The British scientist J. B. S. Haldane appears in the film's introduction and narrates the film, which contains Russian text with English applied next to, or over the top of, the Russian. The operations are credited to Doctor Sergei S. Bryukhonenko.
Contents |
Contents of the film [edit]
The film depicts and discusses, without going into much technical detail, a series of medical experiments. First, a heart (canine, as with all in this film) is shown being isolated from a body, with four tubes connected.
It then shows a lung in a tray, operated by bellows, oxygenating blood.
Following the lung scene we are shown the operation of a primitive heart-lung machine, the autojektor (or autojector), composed of a pair of diaphragm linear pumps and what appears to be an oxygen bubble chamber. We then see it is supplying a canine head with oxygenated blood. The head is shown to respond to external stimuli, but the film does not show the arterial and venal connections to the head.
Finally, a dog is brought to clinical death (depicted mostly via a graphical plot of lung and heart activity) by draining all blood from it, left for ten minutes, then connected to the heart-lung machine described earlier. After several minutes, the heart fibrillates, then restarts a normal rhythm. Respiration likewise resumes, the machine is removed and the dog is shown to continue living a healthy life.
Reaction [edit]
Since its Prelinger Archives release, the film has provoked much controversy.
Bryukhonenko's decapitation experiment was remarked upon by George Bernard Shaw.[1]
Bryukhonenko developed a new version of the autojektor (for use on humans) in the same year; it can be seen today on display at the Museum of Cardiovascular Surgery at the Scientific Center of Cardiovascular Surgery in Russia.[2] Bryukhonenko was posthumously awarded the prestigious Lenin Prize.[3]
References in popular culture [edit]
 |
This section does not cite any references or sources. (November 2011) |
Thrash metal band Metallica referenced this film in their single "All Nightmare Long" videoclip, in 2009.
The 2008 film The X-Files: I Want to Believe is based largely on whole-body transplantation.
Similar Soviet experiments form a major plot point in the novel 9tail Fox by Jon Courtenay Grimwood.
In 2009, the band The Paper Chase (band) used portions of the film in their video, "What Should We Do With Your Body? (The Lightning)"[4]
A portion of the plot of James Rollins' novel "Bloodline" is based on this experiment.
The 1945 novel That Hideous Strength by C.S. Lewis makes reference to the experiments.
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- ^ "Sergej Sergejewitsch Brychonenko". Archived from the original on 2007-01-21. Retrieved 2010-12-14.
- ^ "Museum of Cardiovascular Surgery". Archived from the original on 2006-02-08. Retrieved 2006-03-06.
- ^ http://www.sklifos.ru/OTDEL/otd39.htm
- ^ ""What Should We Do With Your Body? (The Lightning)" video".
External links [edit]
- Experiments in the Revival of Organisms at the Internet Movie Database
- Experiments in the Revival of Organisms is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]
- Time Magazine reports on the film's premiere
- The Autojektor on display at the Scientific Center of Cardiovascular Surgery (in Russian) (link defunct as of January 8, 2008)
- A medical paper on Bryukhonenko's work (in Russian, requires PubMed access)
- Bryukhonenko excerpt from "The Golden Book of Russia. The Year 2000"
- The video, on Google video.
