62 Dr. Hastings on the 



the wholesome influence of the atmosphere, and it becomes dark, 

 discoloured, and unfit for the secretions of the stomach, and 

 by degrees ceases to circulate altogether, the lungs become 

 collapsed and turgid, and the heart loaded with coagulum. 



This idea that the entire cessation of digestion, consequent 

 on the division of the eighth pair of nerves in the neck, arises 

 from a primary affection of the lungs is contradicted by many 

 facts. The respiration sometimes continues tolerably free for 

 some hours after great derangement of the functions of the 

 stomach has been shewn by frequent vomiting. If the animal be 

 killed before great difficulty of breathing comes on, as was the 

 case in the experiment above related in one of the dogs, the 

 same proofs of non-digestion appear as when the lungs are most 

 affected previous to death. Besides, the very reverse of the 

 position which the above gentlemen are anxious to maintain, 

 often obtains : the first signs of difficult respiration are often 

 seen to come on after repeated efforts to vomit ; from which we 

 might as fairly conclude, that the vomiting is the cause of the 

 difficulty of breathing, as Mr. Brodie does, that the disorder of 

 the lungs is the cause of the failure of the functions of the 

 stomach. But in addition to all this convincing evidence it is 

 well known that the lungs are often most severely injured 

 without the functions of the stomach being sensibly impaired. 

 Vomiting certainly is not a common symptom in the most severe 

 asthmatic affections. Neither does the food in such instances 

 remain in the stomach perfectly undigested. 



On the whole, it may be maintained that no fact in physiology 

 is better established than that the division of the eighth pair of 

 nerves in the neck is followed by a suspension of the functions 

 of the stomach. 



It seems quite unnecessary to extend the present communica- 

 tion to the investigation of the evidence which proves that a 

 certain power of galvanism will restore the functions of the 

 stomach after the division of the eighth pair of nerves. We may, 

 however, remark, that the experiments related by Dr. Wilson 

 Philip remain uncontradicted. The inaccuracies of that experi- 

 mtnt which was made at the Royal Society have been admitted 



