Transfusing, Eating — Misrepresentationdamian lewis tv shows

Transfusing, Eating — Misrepresentation

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The Watchtower organization quotes Hemorrhage and Transfusion; An Experimental and Clinical Research, by George W Crile (1909) as an authoritative source supporting its view that blood transfusion “nourishes or sustains the life of the body.”[1]

This book was published in 1909. It contains a large amount of information on experimental and clinical use of blood transfusion. Chapter 7 is titled A Brief History of Transfusion and it quotes a 17th Century physician named Denys about his view of blood transfusion. Chapter 13 is titled The More Modern Theories and Practice of Transfusion and it shares the then most current medical view of blood transfusion.

In its presentation of this 1909 publication the Watchtower organization shares the 17th Century opinion (from Chapter 7) but fails to point out the then more current view expressed in Chapter 13.

Here’s the part of Chapter 7 Watchtower quotes from[2]:

Here’s where the Watchtower organization cites this work and shares the quotation by Denys[1]:

There are several items of misrepresentation about Watchtower’s usage of the material in Hemorrhage and Transfusion; An Experimental and Clinical Research.

1. Nowhere does Watchtower point out this book was published in 1909 and did not necessarily represent views contemporary with medical science as of 1961, which is when it published this information. This failure to disclose is all the more glaring a misrepresentation given the same 1961 Watchtower article quotes several academic works and in each instance shares publishing date with the sole exception of Crile’s 1909 book.

2. Worse, nowhere does it point out that the words quoted by Denys are of a physician's view held in the 17th Century. This is all the more a misrepresentation since the era Denys lived in is found in the very paragraph Watchtower quotes from Crile’s book, yet Watchtower fails to disclose this pertinent information.

3. The physician quoted by Watchtower (Denys) holds a view known today to be false about blood transference from mother to child via the placenta organ, yet if we accepted his word as authoritative it would provide a basis for Jehovah’s Witnesses to accept transfusion of whole allogeneic blood. Watchtower wants its readers to accept as authoritative what Denys says about transfusion being an “eating” of blood, but it does not tell readers about this other view held by the same physician. (Note: This is outside the scope of this article and is not dealt with in this presentation)

4. Nowhere does Watchtower cite what Crile’s book had to say about the view of blood transfusion contemporary with 1909, which is when the book was published.

So what view of blood transfusion was contemporary with 1909 as to whether it was another way to “eat” blood?

In Chapter 13 Crile writes[3]:

So as of 1909 when the book Hemorrhage and Transfusion; An Experimental and Clinical Research was published, the current view was not one agreeing with the Watchtower organization’s assertion that transfusing blood is eating blood.

Watchtower made deceptive use of Crile's' book. When Crile offers a historical and inaccurate view of blood transfusion nourishing the body, Watchtower plies the information to its own end. When the same author provides the then contemporary and accurate view that blood transfusion will not sustain life as though food, Watchtower ignores it.[4]

Marvin Shilmer
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References:

1. The Watchtower, September 15, 1961, p. 558.

2. Hemorrhage and Transfusion; An Experimental and Clinical Research, by George W Crile, New York and London, D. Appleton and Company, 1909, Chapter VII, A Brief History of Transfusion, pp. 153-4.

3. Hemorrhage and Transfusion; An Experimental and Clinical Research, by George W, Crile, New York and London, D. Appleton and Company, 1909, Chapter XIII, The More Modern Theories and Practice of Transfusion, pp. 271-2.