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phy, serous, and purulent matter. I have found the epiglottis a mere 

 sack, containing pus, though Uanched. Hence, the necessity of changing 

 the technology of pathological anatomy. Inflammation is, to some 

 extent, a theoretical word, implying redness and so forth, which may not 

 be essential to its physical history, an evil which may be greatly lessened 

 by using words designating j^hysical changes only, as cohesion, softening, 

 brittleness, induration, size, figure, vascularity, injection, collapse, infiltra- 

 tion, and the like. In medicine, words, [prescriptions], are things, 

 which blacken the body with leeches, blanch it with venesections, or 

 modify its organization with the concentrated preparations of medical 

 chemistry. 



The Crocodilian Respiration is very irregular ; I might say, sometimes 

 altogether suspended tor indefinite, or at least, very long periods, when 

 the animal is not disturbed. The method I have adopted to prove this, 

 is as perfect as could be de-sired. For several days, two large Alligators 

 were so placed in their cages, that the v.ater covered the mouth and 

 nostrils completely. They lay perfectly still. There was no movement 

 of the w^alls of the trunk. The least movement must have agitated the 

 water. Every steamboat or dray that came near, caused slight undula- 

 tions or waves — the Alligators none, when left unmolested, which, how- 

 ever, seldom happened, as persons frequently came near. On several 

 occasions no interruptions occurred for half an hour, or even an hour. 

 When they arc annoyed, and wish to scold or frighten their enemies, 

 they make deep inspirations, inflating their bodies very largely — -this air 

 they discharge in low bass notes, or rather with a bellows hissing sound, 

 several times in a minute. There can scarcely be a doubt that one 

 inspiration supplies a stock of air for hours, if not for days. Herodotus 

 was right in considering this animal as a true amphibium, and, of course, 

 St. Hilaire is w rong in denying it, as is Mr. Kirby, in his Bridgewater 

 treatise on Animals, wherein, he asserts, that "the Crocodile cannot 

 remain more than ten minutes under M'ater,'' (p. 418). Some illustrative 

 facts might be produced. " Tortoises have lived more than a month 

 with their jaws closely tied, and their nostrils stopped with wax." 

 (Ed. Ency.) "The hedge-hog, according to Professor Mongili, respires 

 from five to seven times in a minute ; but in a room, at 54% it becomes 

 torpid — respiration is then periodical, being suspended for fifteen minutes 

 at a time, and this, too, in April and May, after it had naturally revived 

 from its winter lethargy." The same author noticed in the dormouse 

 intervals of suspended respiration for sixteen minutes. By maltreating 

 the Alligator, its inspirations and expirations may be produced at plea- 

 sure, but contrary to the chemical doctrine of pulmonary combustion, 

 animal heat is not thereby augmented, as vvill be shown in the expe- 

 riments on the temperature of this saurian. 



The Circulaiion in this animal, after all my attempts to investigate it, 

 appeared to me, at least, a perfect enigma. On several occasions I 

 explored diflbront regions, wherein I expected to find arterial pulsations, 

 but without much success. This seemed the more surprising, as the 

 axillae, flanks and limbs were sufficiently soft and flexible, to induce the 

 belief that the pulse might readily be detected. The muscles of the 

 limbs are small, cord-like, and pliable. Either from policy or politeness, 

 the animals alloved the fullest examinations without resistance. 



