414 REPORT—-1840. 
tubes, but the cesophagus was strongly convulsed. The nerve 
was then separated and the galvanism passed through it to the 
base of the lung; this raised the dynameter only a tenth. On 
passing the current from the base of the lungs to the trachea 
the column rose more than an inch, sinking again rapidly on 
the withdrawal of the galvanism. 
5. In all the preceding experiments the animals were killed 
by pithing: other modes of death were afterwards tried. A 
rabbit was killed by a blow on the back of theneck. The lungs 
and trachea being cut out, moderately inflated and galvan- 
ised, little effect was produced in the first ten minutes, but the 
column had gradually sunk about three tenths of an inch, after 
this the galvanism repeatedly raised it two tenths. 
6. A large dog was bled to death by dividing the jugular 
veins. Death was preceded by very deep and rare breathing ; 
the heart beat a few pulses after respiration and sensibility had 
ceased. On adapting the dynameter to the trachea, the column 
was stationary ; on opening the abdomen it sunk half an inch, 
On opening the chest it rose five inches. After taking the 
lungs out of the body, galvanism failed to’ raise the column ; 
but this failure probably arose from the tube being obstructed 
with viscid mucus ; for on applying the wires to the bifurcation 
of the trachea the tubes were seen to contract distinctly. This 
suggested another mode of observation which had been dis- 
trusted before, as liable to error. The lungs were cut by sharp 
scissors at right angles to the chief air-tubes ; the open sections 
being galvanised contracted to half, and in some instances to 
less than half their former diameter. To ensure accuracy, the 
gaping ends, as soon as cut, were measured by compasses or 
tubes of similar size. The contraction was most distinct in the 
middle-sized tubes, and those of the size of a crow-quill. One 
of these closed completely. These results were obtained for 
half an hour after death, and long after the heart had lost its 
irritability. 
7. A large greyhound was killed by pithing. The lungs 
being removed, one lobe was tried by galvanism and the dyna- 
meter, with the usual results. A large bronchus of another lobe 
was then cut open longitudinally, laid flat and then galvanised. 
It became hollow and contracted a third, and at one part half 
its diameter. The divided ends of other bronchi also contracted 
to less than half. In one instance, when the interior of a large 
bronchus was galvanised, bloody mucus was expelled from one 
of its branches across which the current passed. 
8. A bullock’s lung was experimented on about twenty mi- 
mutes after death, which was caused as usual by a blow on the 
