Of decerebrated toads and sutured thumb...

Well its almost a week since I last visited and updated my blog... Well it all started with this anyways
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In our exercise in animal behavior, we need to observe the spinal reactions of toads, namely a decerebrated toad, a pithed toad and a normal toad.

Well the first part was easy enough especially when you had earlier experience in beheading the toads the right way without destroying the brainstem. Well as expected, it jumps swims and reacts to almost anything. Well that was well.

In the second part, we need to improvise in cutting the leg of the toad since we don't have any glass knives in our lab since we never had anyway in the University. We need to use glass since it is electrically inert and stable, since we need the nerve intact with enough electric potential/electricity, so when teased it will enervate the muscle. Well cutting the leg shouldn't have been a problem since I already have experience with it, since we already did it in our animal physiology but... I used my left hand. I misjudged the pressure applied to the glass slide and there it broke in half. The other side of the slide sliced in a deep semicircular cut that gave rise to a bleeding thumb with a deep cut in the middle. It bled continously since an arteriole was severed along with some flesh and epidermis. I stopped the bleeding by applying direct pressure over it and covering it with clean cotton. Well I finished the lab class and requested to the professor that may I be taken to the infirmary where it could be treated since simple first aid couldn't stop the bleeding and I need to check if any broken glass got in. Fortunately there was no glass in it but it took me 5 stitches and a painful stab by the syringe to anesthesized my thumb. Well it looked like this after the operation, with necrotic tissue (the big black spot)



and the threads peeking out. It hurt a lot on that day and next day but somehow I managed to put my mind over matter and redirect my attention from it.
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In the continuing days, nothing seems to fit and sound right but hopefully my exam in embryology does. And I hope, equivalent trade works for me.