What is a summary of chapter 9?

In the ninth chapter of her novel, Mary Roach provides an overview of the ways in which heads, both human and animal, have been used in scientific experiments throughout history. Particular emphasis is placed upon decapitation: namely, how long the head, once severed from the body, retains thoughts, feelings, and other aspects of the decedent’s self. Throughout the chapter, Roach provides notable historical examples, such as Brown-Séquard’s 1857 experiment that indicated the presence of brain...

In the ninth chapter of her novel, Mary Roach provides an overview of the ways in which heads, both human and animal, have been used in scientific experiments throughout history. Particular emphasis is placed upon decapitation: namely, how long the head, once severed from the body, retains thoughts, feelings, and other aspects of the decedent’s self. Throughout the chapter, Roach provides notable historical examples, such as Brown-Séquard’s 1857 experiment that indicated the presence of brain activity in a dog eight minutes after its head had been severed from its body, and Jean-Baptiste Vincent Laborde’s experiments with the heads of guillotined criminals. She also explores how the work of these and other researchers eventually raised questions in the medical and scientific communities about the possibility of successful head transplantation, citing the work of Guthrie and Carrel in 1908, Demikhov’s 1954 experiments with canine subjects, and tests performed on monkeys over the next two decades by neurosurgeon Robert White. Roach also touches on the ethical questions raised by human head/brain transplantation, as well as donor and cost considerations.