in cases of Poisoning. 355 



of the same extract. A tight ligature was, at the same time, 

 applied to the limb. Five minutes after the application, the 

 poison was removed by repeated washings ; the ligature was re- 

 moved, and the animal, being let loose, walked peaceably about. 

 It was, however, soon seized with very violent convulsions. A 

 large quantity of blood was immediately taken from the jugular 

 vein, and the convulsions ceased. The animal, on being set at 

 liberty, walked as before ; only a few rattling inspirations were 

 heard from time to time, which presently ceased. The author 

 thought that, in this experiment, the ligature having been too 

 tight, the artery had been compressed along with the vein, so 

 that plethora could not have been produced. 



From this experiment M. Verniere concludes, 1*^, The inu- 

 tility of too tight a ligature ; 2c%, That, even after the poison 

 has penetrated far into the torrent of the circulation, the evil is 

 not beyond the resources of art, and that it is still possible, by 

 means of large general bleedings, to expel the poison from the 

 system. 



It may, in fact, be easily conceived, and experiment proves 

 it, that if bleeding is practised at an early period, when the poi- 

 son is still contained in the large veins, the lungs, and the heart, 

 it will pass, by preference, through the path where it finds less 

 resistance; and consequently, the portion destined for the other 

 organs must be diminished in the proportion of the blood that 

 passes through the veins opened. 



Hitherto the treatment of all cases of poisoning has been al- 

 most exclusively confined to removing the poison from the surface 

 where it was deposited. No person ever dreamed of pursuing 

 it into the veins, and still less of arresting it in the depths of the 

 circulation. The expenments mentioned, reduce the treatment 

 of all cases of poisoning, hydrophobia included, to a few pre- 

 cepts, so simple and so easily executed, that the most ordinary 

 practitioner cannot fail to apprehend it. 



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