491 



III. Natural History. 



1 . On Death by Lisufflation, or the Passing of Air into the Lungs, 

 — M. Leroy d'Etiolles some time since pointed out the danger of 

 throwing air into the lungs of drowned persons, and stated that the 

 operation, when performed simply by the mouth but strongly, was 

 sufficient to occasion the death of certain animals, as dogs, cats^ 

 and rabbits ; since then, M. Leroy has continued his experiments, 

 and to render them more conclusive, has employed animals approx- 

 imating more nearly in size to man. Seven sheep were killed in 

 this manner; four of them died immediately, and the other three 

 lived only a quarter of an hour. On inspecting the lungs of these 

 animals, an unexpected result was observed ; for it was found that 

 the tearing of the pulmonary cells was not the cause of death, as 

 had been supposed : none of the sheep who died instantly offered 

 this appearance. In the three which died more slowly, there was 

 certainly found a quantity of air in the thoracic cavity, but all cir- 

 cumstances lead to the conclusion that the accident was not the 

 cause of their death, and that they died of asphyxia, like the others. 

 I'he cause of this asphyxia has not as yet been discovered. Great 

 difficulty occurs in examining the lesions which may have been 

 occasioned in the lungs by the operation of throwing in air, because, 

 according to M. Leroy d'Etiolles, nothing is more rare than to find 

 a sheep whose lungs are unaffected by some disease, the effects of 

 tehich may not be confounded with those produced by the operation. 

 —But, Univ. C. X. 37. 



2. Remarks on the Human Voice, by D. Liskovius of Leipsig.—^ 

 The remarks by M. Liskovius are in the form of a reply to objections 

 advanced by M . Rudolphi against previous statements and opinions 

 of the former. M. Liskovius had said that the vocal cords length- 

 ened as the aperture of the glottis dilated. M. Rudolphi remarked 

 upon this, that during ordinary inspiration and expiration the glottis 

 is so much open that no sound can be heard ; and, consequently, 

 that to produce even the lowest notes of the gamut a dilatation 

 greater than this cannot be required, as it would have no other 

 effect than to prevent the formation of sound altogether. In reply> 

 M. Liskovius remarks, that when in a state of repose, the larynx 

 holds a middle place between its greatest elevation and depression, 

 and that the glottis also is in an intermediate" state between its 

 greatest contraction and extension ; the more the larynx descends, 

 the more the glottis is dilated, and the greater the degree to which 

 the former ascends, so much the more is the latter contracted : 

 if, therefore, the glottis were the most dilated in a state of repose, 

 the larynx should, at the same time, be at the maximum of depres- 

 sion, and its depressing and dilating muscles would be at the 

 maximum of contraction ; in such a case, each person would talk 



2K2 



