made on Men and Animals. 133 



II. Experiments on Ralbifs suffocated in Sulphurated 



Hydrogen and Carbonic Acid Gas. 

 Thermometer b°^; barometer 27 inches; pile 25 disks. 



It is much easier to recall animal life in these cases of 

 asphyxia, because there is no mechanical obstacle to the 

 functions ot the respiratory organs, and as the glottis gene- 

 rally remains open. Having prepared a rabbit, and suffo- 

 cated it in sulphurated hydrogen gas, (a mode which occa- 

 sions no agitation in the animal as water does, because it 

 first renders the nervous system torpid, and then extin- 

 guishes the property of transmitting the animal fluid ca- 

 pable of exciting the animal and of preserving it in life,) in 

 three minutes after apparent death I galvanized it, forming- 

 the circle as before mentioned during three minutes, and 

 observed movements either in the feet or at the stomach. 

 These movements increasing by the continued action of the 

 fluid of the pile for eio;ht minutes more, eftected a return of 

 respiration and of life at the same time; but the animal re- 

 mained apoplectic. To bring the animal from this state, I 

 applied galvanism, with great prccaulion, to the external 

 part of the nostrils, and at the same time made it drink 

 vinegar. By these means the functions of the external 

 senses returned twenty-three minutes after suflbcation, but 

 it remained stupid for four hotu's. 



I must here observe, that I had before suffocated two 

 others on which galvanism produced no eftectj probably 

 because it was too late. 



Another rabbit, prepared and suffocated in carbonic acid 

 gas as the preceding, was subjected to galvanism for eigh- 

 teen minutes, but without success. Finding that there 

 were no hopes of recallino; it to life, I formed the resolution 

 of opening the cavity of the breast and the pericardium. I 

 then galvanized the diaphragm, forming the circle between 

 it and the spinal marrow ; and though the contractions of 

 that muscle were sufficient to excite some movement in 

 the heart, they were not able to maintain it for any length 

 of time. I then applied the ealvanic circle to the nerves of 

 the heart, and to the heart itself: it was now twenty-six 

 iTiinutessafter suflbcation, contractions were manifested in 

 the above organ, and in conse(juence of the galvanism were 

 repeated at intervals, and continued to forty-six minutes. 

 I then directed the action of the galvanism to the muscles 



• 8'''Reau'n. =46-4 Fahr, 



I 3 of 



