The Frankenstein Factory
“Harry Armstrong was saying in the morning as the medical team sat around the breakfast table and the silent Hilda went quickly about her task. “Science has pretty much licked the problem of rejection in transplant operations, but this is still new territory for us. As the body is brought up to its proper temperature and full consciousness resumes, he’ll be especially vulnerable to infection.”
Hobbes nodded impatiently. “But how long before he’ll be able to speak?”
Armstrong glanced at Freddy O’...Connor for a reply. “You’re the brain man, Freddy. You tell him.”
O’Connor, all business, stared hard at his fingernails. “Well, the truth of the matter is he may never speak.”
“Never?”
“Functions like speech and movement and memory are controlled by specific sectors of the brain. In a transplant operation such as I performed last night, it’s virtually impossible to be certain that every portion of the brain survived uninjured until the patient is conscious. You must realize that brain transplants in dogs and monkeys are a great deal different from transplants in human beings.MoreLess
Hobbes nodded impatiently. “But how long before he’ll be able to speak?”
Armstrong glanced at Freddy O’...Connor for a reply. “You’re the brain man, Freddy. You tell him.”
O’Connor, all business, stared hard at his fingernails. “Well, the truth of the matter is he may never speak.”
“Never?”
“Functions like speech and movement and memory are controlled by specific sectors of the brain. In a transplant operation such as I performed last night, it’s virtually impossible to be certain that every portion of the brain survived uninjured until the patient is conscious. You must realize that brain transplants in dogs and monkeys are a great deal different from transplants in human beings.MoreLess
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