364 On the Use of Ligatures and Bleeding ' 



ing on this important fact, he made the following experiment. Af-> 

 ter putting three grains of alcoholic extract of nux vomica upon a 

 wound made in the foot of a young dog, he applied a ligature 

 above the humero-cubital articulation of the wounded limb. He 

 then slowly injected, by the jugular vein, as much water as the 

 animal could bear, without suffering much. After this, he open- 

 ed the vein of the poisoned limb,, below the ligature, and, ta- 

 king away a few ounces of blood, injected them into the jugu- 

 lar vein of another dog. This dog died in convulsions at the 

 very moment of injection. The wound of the first dog, how- 

 ever_, having been carefully cleaned, a little blood was allowed 

 to flow, and the animal was put at liberty. It exhibited no 

 symptoms of poisoning, and eight days after was perfectly well,, 

 when it was sacrificed for other experiments. 



The result of this experiment is easily accounted for. It be- 

 ing known that plethora stops absorption ; the blood which flow- 

 ed from the vein that was opened could alone be impregnated 

 with poison, for that vein and its afferents were the only vessels 

 that did not participate in the general plethora. 



This experiment appeared decisive to M. Verniere. But the 

 means of applying the principle which it aflbrds to practice pre- 

 sents a great inconvenience, — the necessity of infusing water in- 

 to the veins. This infusion, the author thinks, may be avoid- 

 ed, and that it is sufficient to induce a local plethora in the poi- 

 soned limb. Now, nothing is more easy than this, as it may be 

 done by a moderately tight ligature. This ligature applied, it 

 would be suflicient to open one of the veins of the engorged 

 part, to determine the flow of the poisoned blood. 



The author adduced two experiments in support of this me- 

 thod. In the first, three grains of extract of nux vomica were 

 spread upon a wound made on the cheek of a small-sized dog. 

 After an application of six minutes, during which the experi- 

 menter kept the two jugular veins compressed with his thumbs, 

 that of the poisoned side was largely opened with a lancet, the 

 blood flowed abundantly, and the animal, when restored to its 

 feet, experienced only a little weakness. 



In the other experiment, the author inserted under the skin of 

 he anterior surface of the fore-leg of a young dog, three grains 



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