Day Nine

January 10th. Today after class we went to the hospital where the first heart transplant was performed (in Cape Town!) where they have established a museum. It was pretty interesting learning about it, though I am not entirely sure how it relates to the class. There was only a small bit of information about using nonhuman primates to practice the transplants, but apparently it happened. Apparently the common view of baboons in South Africa is that they're vermin.
Anyway, here are some pictures, I will try to explain them too:

Depiction of the first heart transplant surgeon and the people in his operating room. They are all depicted as baboons 

The doctor sitting in his office 

 Old appletiser advertisement, this is an extremely popular kind of drink here. It's basically apple juice with carbonation, like the sparkling grape juice I talked about before. 

 Criticism of the first heart transplant surgery

Figure of the first heart donor 

 First heart recipient

 Besides the letters of criticism, Doctor Barnard received many letters of appreciation

 Washkansky, the first heart transplant recipient. He stayed alive for 18 days after the surgery

Baboons were often used in art (still are, too, I believe), but they were also used to test heart transplants 

All in all, the museum was pretty interesting. The models and situations that they set up (they were the exact rooms with the machines used on the day of the surgery, it was actually in the middle of the night) were very lifelike and actually kind of creepy. 

Cape Town is now famous for having the first heart transplant surgery and it worked, though the man only stayed alive for 18 days. It was still considered a success scientifically. 

Now we are going out again! Goodnight (: