Henry Newell Martin (1848 – 1896) A proponent of vivisection and the a developer of methodolgy for keeping a frog’s heart beating after removal from the amphibian’s body. Courtesy of Wikimedia
In 1958, Sarnoff stated, “The present understanding of myocardial function has been made possible to a substantial extent by the study of the classical isolated heart or heart-lung preparations. The main virtue of these preparations is the possibility of imposing a degree of control on the experimental study that has not been readily achieved in the intact animal.” The isolated heart preparation was a fundamental precursor to the development of the heart-lung machine, which was essential for the advancement of open-heart surgery. (Sarnoff 1957)
John H. Gibbon, Jr., the pioneer of the heart-lung machine, recognized the importance of the isolated mammalian heart preparation, which was developed over a century ago by H. Newell Martin, the first professor of physiology at Johns Hopkins University. Half a century later, American physiologist Walter Meek claimed that Martin’s “work in devising a form of perfusion for the isolated heart ranks possibly as the greatest single contribution ever made from an American physiological laboratory.”
Martin was born in Ireland in 1848 and attended University College London, where he was particularly influenced by Michael Foster, who began teaching practical physiology and histology there in 1867. His teachers recognized Martin’s talents, and he was invited to serve as a demonstrator for Foster and as an assistant to Thomas Huxley, Britain’s leading biologist. Huxley, a prominent advocate of scientific education, was asked by Daniel Gilman, the president of Johns Hopkins University, to suggest candidates for the chair of biology at the Baltimore institution, where instruction was set to begin in the fall of 1876. Huxley responded, “I do not think you could possibly have a better man than Dr. Martin. He is thoroughly well trained in Physiology and general Biology; a Fellow of his College in Cambridge; young, energetic, very pleasant in manner, and a thorough gentleman.”
After negotiations in which Martin requested a higher salary than initially offered, the promise of constructing a biological laboratory, and the title of professor, along with a direct say in organizing the curriculum and studies of the University, Martin accepted the position in Baltimore. At just 28 years old, he began his career at Johns Hopkins, aligning with Gilman’s vision of building a faculty committed to research that had “twenty years before them rather than twenty years behind them.”
In his inaugural address, Martin underscored the importance of pure science, stating, “This is a university, and the object of a university, I take it, is directly to promote liberality of thought and culture and only indirectly to concern itself with the practical advancement of material welfare.” He also highlighted the qualities necessary for researchers, noting, “The only absolutely necessary faculties for the scientific investigator are love of his work, perseverance, and truthfulness.” Martin remarked on the challenges of conducting physiological investigations, saying, “One difficulty which I have met is that many seem to consider that a physiological investigation can be carried on by devoting an hour or two at irregular intervals; I feel quite sure that no good work is likely to be done in that way, and I am not inclined to encourage such workers.”
By the early 1880s, Martin’s physiology department at Johns Hopkins was thriving. His research program had solidified, and he had assembled an exceptional group of productive young scientists at the new Baltimore institution. Morale among faculty and students was high, and it was widely acknowledged that Johns Hopkins provided the best opportunities for advanced instruction and research in the biological sciences in the United States. In 1881, a medical editor claimed, “The opportunities for physiological and morphological study and research at the university in question are probably the best to be found in this country. And it is a center that has already shown evidence of good scientific work. The medical profession should feel gratified that opportunities for such original work now exist in this country.”
Martin held high aspirations, and in his five-year report, he explained that among his goals was “to train men as specialists in Physiology, so that they might not only be qualified to teach it but to add to our knowledge of the workings of the living body… Physiology has only recently begun to advance into that fortunate position... to be pursued for its own sake.” (Fey 1986)
In the early 1880s, Martin’s research began to focus on the circulatory system, which was also the primary interest of his mentor, Michael Foster. Foster, along with his students, notably Walter Gaskell and Albert Dew-Smith, published several papers on cardiac physiology while Martin was Foster’s assistant at Cambridge. By 1874, Foster had directed all his energies toward solving the problem of the heartbeat and its origin.1896) and the Isolated Heart Preparation: The Link Between the Frog and Open Heart Surgery. (Martin 1879)
In 1958, Sarnoff stated, “The present understanding of myocardial function has been made possible to a substantial extent by the study of the classical isolated heart or heart-lung preparations. The main virtue of these preparations is the possibility of imposing a degree of control on the experimental study that has not been readily achieved in the intact animal.” The isolated heart preparation was a fundamental precursor to the development of the heart-lung machine, which was essential for the advancement of open-heart surgery. (Sarnoff)
The pioneer of the heart-lung machine, John H. Gibbon, Jr., recognized the significance of the isolated mammalian heart preparation, which was developed over a century ago by H. Newell Martin, the first professor of physiology at Johns Hopkins University. Half a century later, the American physiologist Walter Meek claimed that Martin’s “work in devising a form of perfusion for the isolated heart ranks possibly as the greatest single contribution ever made from an American physiological laboratory.”
In the early 1880s, Martin’s research began to focus on the circulatory system, which was also the primary research interest of his mentor, Michael Foster. Foster, along with his pupils, notably Walter Gaskell and Albert Dew-Smith, published several papers on cardiac physiology while Martin was Foster’s assistant at Cambridge. By 1874, Foster had directed all his energies toward solving the problem of the heartbeat and its origin.
How to cite this page: Reiser, Frank W. (2026). Frog Vivisection’s Direct Link to Open Heart Surgery Antiqueslides.net Available at https://antiqueslides.net/frog-vivisection…en-heart-surgery/
References
(1876). Annual report (1876-1886). https://core.ac.uk/download/478859002.pdf
Fye, W. B. (1986). H. Newell Martin and the isolated heart preparation: The link between the frog and open heart surgery. Circulation. https://doi.org/10.1161/01.cir.73.5.857
HistoryofMedicine.com. https://historyofmedicine.com/id/295
Sarnoff, S. J., Case, R. B., Welch, G. H., Braunwald, E., & Stainsby, W. N. (1957). Performance Characteristics and Oxygen Debt in a Nonfailing, Metabolically Supported, Isolated Heart Preparation. American Journal of Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1152/ajplegacy.1957.192.1.141