:258 Wilson Philip on the 



pair of nerves have -been divided, the food is found covered with 

 apparently the same semifluid which we find covering the food 

 in a healthy stomach," and it is constantly stated, that the 

 lungs after the division of the nerves were clogged with frothy 

 mucus. It is true that after the division of the nerves, Mr. 

 Brodie* did not find that arsenic produced the copious secre- 

 tion observed from it in the entire animal. But it is to be re- 

 collected, that he speaks of a morbid secretion produced by the 

 irritation of the poison, and which of course would have no 

 existence if the irritation which occasioned it were prevented, 

 a probable means of doing which was dividing the nerves of the 

 affected organs. It is also true that Mr. Brodie found in the 

 uewly dead animal, that, although the circulation was supported 

 by artificial respiration, there was no secretion of urine. But 

 this result, I believe, was by no means the consequence of the 

 loss of nervous power, but of the diminished vis a tergo. From 

 every thing I have observed of the newly dead animal, it would 

 appear that we cannot, by artificial respiration, which cannot 

 be made to resemble the natural function, give such vigour to 

 the circulation, as at all approaches to that in the living a^iimal ; 

 and the secretion of urine which takes place after deatli, must 

 be inconsiderable under any circumstances. Besides the divi- 

 sion of the spinal marrow in the upper part of the neck, in Mr. 

 Brodie's experiment, as it did not tend to lessen the supply of 

 nervous influence to the ganglian system, could have no effect 

 in diminishing the little nervous influence which still continues, 

 (as appears from the experiments in which I divided the eighth 

 pair of nerves immediately after death,) to be sent to secreting 

 surfaces in the newly dead animal. I can truly say, that in the 

 living animal I never found the secreted fluids suppressed by 

 dividing the nerves. The remaining nervous influence seemed 

 always sufficient to occasion a separation of fluids from the 

 blood as long as it was supplied. It is to be recollected, that 

 neither the stomach nor lungs are wholly deprived of nervous 

 influence by dividing the eighth pair of nerves. Such is the con- 



* Phhmphmd Trunsucliorwi for 1814. 



