Jacob Sarnoff and the Strange World of Anatomical Filmmaking

By Miriam Posner

US NATIONAL LIBRARY OF MEDICINE - Miriam Posner on what led a 1920s Brooklyn surgeon to remove the veins from a day-old infant, mount them on a board, and film them being pumped with air. more

Beast in the Blood: Jean Denis and the “Transfusion Affair”

By Peter Sahlins

During the late 1660s in Paris, transfusing the blood of calves and lambs into human veins held the promise of renewed youth and vigour. Peter Sahlins explores Jean Denis’ controversial experiments driven by his belief in the moral superiority of animal blood: a substance that could help redeem the fallen state of humanity. more