The
semi-artificial man is not a character from science fiction. He is
already a medical reality. And he is already a matter of grave concern
to those doctors and scientists who have begun to wonder about his
possible significance for the future of human society.
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What
do we mean by the term "semi-artificial man"? Imagine an elderly man
who wears glases, uses a hearing aid, and walks with a cane. So far,
not so difficult. But suppose he also had serious heart trouble and,
through surgery, his main artery has been replaced by a Teflon tube and
his heartbeat is regulated by an electronic pacemaker. A little harder
on the imagination but still, medically, quite possible. |
Within
the next few years this man, or others like him, will probably be able
to avail himself of other artificial -- or borrowed -- organs. Lungs,
liver, even a completely new heart, are all currently in the testing
stage. When science finally breaks through the "immunological barrier,"
which is the body's automatic defense mechanism against outside
invasion, it will be possible to replace almost any defective organ by
transplanting a healthy one from another human.
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The Semi-Artificial
Man
A Dawning Revolution In Medicine
by Harold M Schmeck
Walker and Company,
1965
Order
a copy
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