
In 1940, Soviet scientists led by Dr. Sergei Brukhonenko conducted a controversial experiment to reanimate clinically dead dogs using a machine called the autojektor — an early heart-lung device. In one part of the experiment, a severed dog’s head was kept alive by pumping blood and oxygen through it, showing reflexive responses like blinking and ear movement. In another, a dog was drained of blood to induce death, then revived by restoring circulation.