16 Effects of Oxygen and other Gases 



chlorine. The right ventricle of the heart was distended with 

 dark blood. The eyes were much glazed in each experiment. 



It has generally been thought that chlorine is incapable of 

 passing the epiglottis ; but, from the above observations it is 

 evident that this gas enters the bronchial tubes in the act of 

 inspiration. A portion of it probably circulates through the 

 brain, suspending the cerebral functions without directly de- 

 stroying the action of the involuntary organs, contractility re- 

 maining long after the destruction of animal life, as is evinced 

 by the activity of the heart and the intestinal canal. 



IV. EXPERIMENTS WITH SULPHURETTED HYDROGEN. 



My attention was next directed to sulphuretted hydrogen, 

 the common gas of privies, which proves so destructive to life, 

 for the purpose of ascertaining the condition of the animal 

 organs after immersion in this gas, and of observing whether 

 it actually enters the bronchial tubes. 



It is generally stated that sulphuretted hydrogen destroys 

 life by producing what is erroneously termed asphyxia^ or, in 

 other words, that the animal functions cease from the want of 

 the vivifying influence of oxygen, although in fact the heart 

 continues to act. 



A rabbit of two or three weeks old was placed under a glass 

 vessel filled with this gas. It gasped and died in somewhat less 

 than half a minute. I removed it after allowing it to remain 

 about two minutes and a half, and on opening the thorax found 

 the heart palpitating freely, and the peristaltic motion of the 

 bowels continuing, but the diaphragm was still. The blood 

 was universally of a thick and very dark brown tint, no 

 arterial blood being discoverable. The lungs were collapsed. 

 The brain seemed to be tinged with a dark-brown colour, 

 and portions of it being removed to some distance off, afforded 

 the intolerable odour of this gas. The surface of the liver and 

 intestines generally was suffused with a dark- brown tint. This 

 experiment was repeated, and mice and sparrows also were 

 employed with similar results. 



It appears evident from these experiments with sulphuretted 

 hydrogen, that the gas enters into the circulation by the lungs, 

 and that passing through the brain it suspends the cerebral 

 functions without directly destroying the spontaneous action of 



