6 Effects of Oxygen and other Gases 



was quickened, but it showed no signs of insensibility ; nor, 

 until nearly eleven o'clock, was it apparently much affectedy 

 when some degree of stupor and weakness was evident. At 

 twelve o'clock at night, twelve hours and a half after its immer- 

 sion, it was in a sitting posture, breathing quick, and somewhat 

 dull in appearance. In this state it was left, the fire allowed 

 to go out, and the bath to cool down to the temperature of the 

 room on a frosty night ; so that in the morning it was found 

 dead. On opening the body, the heart and blood vessels 

 universally contained scarlet blood* During this experiment, 

 as the water rose in the jar, about two or three pints of oxygen 

 were added : a flame was excited in a blown-out taper, intro* 

 duced into the jar, and a mouse breathed some time in it. 



EXPERIMENT VIII. 



A rabbit of about three weeks old was immersed in a gallon 

 of oxygen at a quarter before twelve. About one o'clock the 

 respiration was evidently hurried. At three o'clock the animal 

 was apparently insensible, its eyes glazed, and breathing feebly 

 and at long intervals. At the end of four hours and three- 

 quarters no sign of motion existed, but a slight movement of 

 the diaphragm occasionally, and almost imperceptibly. It 

 was then removed, and in about a quarter of an hour it was 

 reanimated by means of artificial inflation. It continued very 

 weak during the evening, but was quite well next day, and so 

 continued. The gas in this case was nearly half of it breathed 

 by the guinea-pigs of the sixth and seventh experiments, and 

 the other half consisted of fresh oxygen. 



EXPERIMENT IX. 



At five o'clock in the evening a rabbit of about three weeks 

 old was immersed in the same oxygen from which the last was 

 4:aken, with the addition of a quart of fresh oxygen to make 

 up for losses. In about an hour the animal breathed very 

 quick, and in four hours and a quarter it was apparently insen- 

 sible, and breathing slowly and slightly. At the end of four 

 hours and three-quarters no movement was at all perceptible. 

 It was then removed into the air, and it began to gasp, upon 

 artificial inflation being applied. But the air was unfortunately 

 sent in too strongly by an assistant, and it escaped into the 

 abdomen, which put an end to the means of restoration. On 



