In 1947 and again in 1954 Jacob Fine and his associates emphasized that in severe haemorrhagic shock replacement of the blood lost was not enough to guarantee a survival of the experimental animal 9,36,89. He pointed out that factors come into play which result from haemorrhage but cannot be corrected by transfusion. This concept was reiterated by Moyer who made the point that death and morbidity in severe hypovolemic shock is undoubtedly due to a lack of perfusion of vital organs but that simple replacement of fluids is not enough to renew this flow.

Sufficient evidence is available to consider radio-activity as a public health hazard. Constantly increasing use of atomic energy products in industry, as well as in the laboratory, presents a real problem. The biological effects of irradiation are presently studied from various points of view. Much remains to be learned about the long range effects of radiation. Only a beginning bas been made by the studies of Copeland, Vaughan, Aub, Looney and Gartland Hoffmann, Martland.

Until recently the tumor process has been regarded as a one-step cause and effect event. The investigations during the past ten years have shown to an increasing extent the developmental character of the tumors, as well as the significance of various factors affecting the process of malignancy. Although the division of tumor process into three phases, (Induction, Critical and Progression), was suggested by Kline and Rush in 1941, it was not until 1951 that the concepts of Greene and Furth have, so to say, switched the consensus by dividing the tumors into autonomous and dependent, therefore denying the generally held view that cancer always represents an autonomous self-perpetuating entity. [...]

True Frostbite is not uncommon in civilian life (1, 17), but among acclimated travellers and natives of arctic and subarctic regions, serious cases are rare (165). The greatest incidence of frostbite has occurred among armed forces during military campaigns. Napolèon' s surgeon, Baron Larrey (101) encountered huge numbers of cold injuries in French troops during the retreat from Moscow. Lewis (108) is of the opinion that these were trench foot injuries, while Arena (5) refers to themas examples of true frostbite. During both World wars non-freezing wet cold injuries predominated.

The magnitude of the problem of ascites is not readily apparent to the clinician. A classification of conditions in which ascites occurs and a consideration of therapy occupy his thinking when confronted by a patient with the sign. Those actively engaged in investigative work on ascites have attempted to proceed further than their clinical colleagues. The vast void that exists in our knowledge becomes apparent with review of the literature. Only relative success of surgery in ameliorating chronic ascites has prompted the efforts presented within this report.

In the fall of 1946 the author was assigned to the newly formed Experimental Surgical Laboratories of McGill University with the purpose of spending one year in investigative work, as a part of a graduate training program in surgery. Experimental surgery, as a branch of surgery, was at that time in its beginnings, both at McGill University and in other centers on this continent. It is, therefore, not surprising that several serious technical difficulties have prevented the completion of the proposed research at that time. The results of the investigation recorded in this thesis have been obtained during the session 1946-1947, and completed during the current session.

The study to be reported, was undertaken to obtain further knowledge into the skin temperature changes which occur following burns and frostbite. This was stimulated by the availability of a new device for the assessment of skin temperatures. This device, the Thermoscan Model 102, was developed by the Radiation Electronics Company, a Division of Comptometer Corporation of Chicago. The Thermoscan has been used successfully by Dr. R. N. Lawson for the assessment of the temperature changes in human breasts. (94), (95). The measurement of the skin temperature has been used for many years as a means of assessing the activity of the autonomic nervous system and the peripheral circulation.

The physiology of catechol amines bas been subject to intensive investigations ever since it was recognized or more precisely postulated that differences exist in the nature and actions of Adrenaline and its demetylated precursor the Noradrenaline. There are indeed few subjects in physiology which have been studied and given rise to more controversies. Part of the confusion which arose was probably due to different nomenclature of authors and compounds studied; part of it was undoubtedly due to the multiplicity of actions and variability of effects under different experimental conditions.

During the past thirty years the report concerning coronary heart disease have increased almost geometrically. We are still far from solving the problems of this serious disease as is evidenced by the continuous flood of papers. The greatest advance has been on the diagnostic front of myocardial infarction and its allied picture of coronary insufficiency. Practically all the schools of the world have contributed in the clinical study. The names of Parkinson, Bedford in England, Barnes, Whitten, Woolfirth, Wood, White, Levine, Wright, Levy, Master in the U.S.A. are closely associated with this work.

At the present time, with coronary disease in such prominence, it is interesting to glance back briefly over the development of our knowledge from the time Heberden first described angina pectoris in England, in 1768, (120). Many well known men have been active in the development of this knowledge. Such names as Fothergill, Hunter, Hammer, Osler, and many others will be familiar to most readers. Hammer, in 1878, was probably the first to diagnose coronary occlusion clinically, and to confirm this diagnosis at autopsy, (117).