on the Living System, 17 



not be altered, when the solution was intro- 

 duced by the crural as well as by the jugular 

 vein > but upon the other theory, the solution 

 of this difficulty is easy, and accords with the 

 whole series of experiments, (p) 



The life of a rabbit cannot be sustained ^ 

 ^iHlniite without the action of the lieatt ; when 

 the solution of opium is ihjectdd Into th^ 

 jugular vein, it is applied to the inward surface 

 of the heart, mixed with a very smaH quantity 

 of blood, and can then exert effects upon that 

 organ as instantaneously as if the heirt was 

 immersed in it, as in experiment 2d Cq), the 

 'action of opium being thus directed against 

 the irrltkble fibre, the exhaustion of that part 

 would immediately succeed, of bourse the 

 animal must die ; but when the same fluid is 

 injected into the cn^ral vein, it doe^ not reach 

 the heart until it has been mixed and diluted 

 with a very considerable portion of blood, ^o 

 that no quantity of blood which the heart could 

 contain during one period of dilatation, would 

 be impregnated with any great quantity of the 

 solution of opium. The consequences there- 

 fore, which folIoVO'ed from the injection of 

 opium into the jugular vein, supposing that it 



(p) Vid. Inaug. Dissert, p. 119. NoteC. 

 (q) Vid. Inaug. Disieft. p. 17. Exp. 14. 

 C 



