Dialysis in 1947

[Stoday]

I've been reading about the history of dialysis in "Genesis of the Artificial Kidney" and came across this little gem which I feel bound to share with you:

The first patient selected for dialysis at Mount Sinai was victim of mercuric chloride poisoning. Admitted on May 4 1947, the patient was scheduled for hookup to the artifical kidney, but the first dialysis had to be postponed when a spontaneous diuresis occured caused by the patient seeing the formidable equipment.

To save you looking it up, "spontaneous diuresis" = "he pissed himself" 

[Bill Peckham]

That's pretty funny.


Does your history relate the story of the first dialysis that worked? I think it was something like the 20th person Kollf tried to dialyze.


The way I heard it, it was a woman in a uremic coma. The treatment brought her back to consciousness and her first words were "I want a divorce."

[galvo]

You're in form, Stoday.

[Des]

Well if the patient  "spontaneous diuresis" why did he need dialysis then? hehehehhe

[chook]

I'm going to try and work the words 'spontaneous diuresis' into conversation and see how it goes. This made me laugh out loud.