682 Experiments 



Pressure is then lowered to 8 cm.; the animal dies at the end of 5 

 minutes. 



The liver is removed immediately, thrown into boiling water, then 

 crushed with charcoal; no trace of sugar. 



Here then the chemical process which transforms the glycogen 

 of the liver into sugar is also hampered by the decreased pressure. 

 Here again, we find the absolute similarity between death by de- 

 compression and slow asphyxia in closed vessels. We knew that 

 in asphyxia also glycosuria is a phenomenon which is sometimes 

 but not always observed. We understand that multiple conditions 

 control its appearance. In fact, it is necessary that at a certain 

 moment the liver should still be furnishing a great quantity of 

 sugar to the blood, and that oxidation within the blood should at 

 the same time be greatly hindered. These are conditions which 

 are very complex and hard to produce at will. 



The amount of sugar in the arterial blood should also be care- 

 fully ascertained. Here are some experiments performed for this 

 purpose; the analyses were made by M. Dastre, who has had great 

 experience in this kind of research. 



Experiment CCXLIV. February 26. Small Havanese dog. 



Its arterial blood contains per kilogram 0.95 gm. of glucose. 



It is placed under a large bell, at a pressure of about 20 or 25 cm.; 

 at the end of a quarter of an hour it dies, the pressure having perhaps 

 gone too low through carelessness. 



The blood of the right heart contains 3.48 gm. of glucose per 

 kilogram. 



Much glycogenic material in the liver. 



Experiment CCXLV. February 27. Small dog, puny, sickly. 



Its arterial blood contains 1.80 gm. of glucose. 



Placed for three hours, under a current of air, at a pressure vary- 

 ing between 15 and 25 cm. Then killed by sudden decompression 

 falling to 5 cm. 



Blood of the right heart contains 1.84 gm. 



Much sugar and glycogenic material in the liver. 



No urine in the bladder; the kidneys and bladder, crushed in 

 water, do not reduce to copper reagent. 



The temperature was not measured; but the animal did not seem 

 to have grown perceptibly colder. 



Experiment CCXLVI. March 3. Small dog. 



Arterial blood contains 1.5 gm. of glucose. 



Brought in 20 minutes to a pressure of 17 cm., where it remained 

 for 10 minutes. Then killed quickly by decompression (9 cm.). 



Arterial blood, taken from the heart during the last beats, con- 

 tains 3.3 gm. of glucose. 



Rectal temperature 38°. 



