Anatomical Elements 84] 



B. Compressed in the cylindrical glass apparatus to 10 superoxy- 

 genated atmospheres. 



6 o'clock. A. The hearts are still beating occasionally, especially 

 the auricles; they can be stimulated. 



B. They have completely stopped, and cannot be revived by stim- 

 ulation. 



These data show that muscular contractility, motor nerve ex- 

 citability, and the rhythmic action of the nerve ganglia of the heart 

 stop much sooner in oxygen under high tension than under normal 

 pressure with ordinary air. In other words, the muscular, nerve, 

 and ganglionic anatomical elements, like the free elements which 

 constitute the ferments, are killed by compressed oxygen. 



Other researches, in which I used the method of animal grafting, 

 the only one which could inform us on this point, show that not 

 only the vital properties of the higher order, the animal order, are 

 destroyed in the muscular and nervous elements, but that all the 

 anatomical elements are killed by oxygen at high tension. In 

 fact, the grafts carried out with parts subjected in advance to its 

 effect were absorbed without having become adherent. 



Experiment CCCCLXXX1. March 15. Tails of rats, with skin re- 

 moved, are hung in closed glass tubes, with a little water at the 

 bottom. 



One of them, A, is left at normal pressure. 



The other, B, the stopper of which is pierced by a hole, is subjected 

 to 10 atmospheres of superoxygenated air, from March 16 to March 

 20. Temperature 12 degrees. 



March 20. A smells rather bad. B no odor. 



Grafted under the skin of the back of two rats. 



No complication. 



July 16. Graft A has taken root perfectly. 



B is almost entirely absorbed. 



Experiment CCCCLXXXI (2). March 22. Tails of rats, with skin 

 removed, hung in tubes, above a little water. 



A. Normal pressure. 



B. At 9 superoxygenated atmospheres. 

 March 24. Grafted on two rats. 



No complications. 



June 1. A, graft has taken root perfectly. 



B. Almost entirely absorbed. 



The transfusion of blood, which is only a particular case of the 

 general method of animal grafting, also shows that the blood 

 which has undergone the prolonged action of compressed oxygen is 

 incapable of maintaining life; its anatomical elements, its cor- 

 puscles, are killed and their introduction into the organism even 

 causes death. Example: 



