74 On Pithing Cattle. 



body rxceeclingiy abated, the diaphragm acting strongly, 

 but irregularly. About seven in the evennig the pulse was 

 not above twenty in a minute, the diaphragm acting 

 strongly, but in repeated jerks. Between twelve at night 

 and one in the morning the dog was still alive : respiration 

 was very slow, hut the diaphra<rm still acted with consi- 

 tlerable force. Early in the morning he was found dead. 

 This operation I performed from the suggestion of Mr. 

 Hunter. He had observed in the human subject, tliat 

 when the neck was broke at the lower part (in which cases 

 the spinal marrow is torn through), the patient lived for 

 some davs, breathing by the diaphragm. This experiment 

 showed that dividing the spinal marrow at this place, on tlie 

 neck, if below the origin of the phrenic nerves, would not 

 for many hours alter destrov the Unimalj it was preparatory 

 to the following experiment. 



" Expen)ncnt Vll. ylpril 20. — I divided the par vaguni 

 aad intercostal nerves, on both sides, in a dog. Soon 

 after, I performed on the same animal the operation of the 

 last experiment, and the same svmptoms took |)lacc. IJis 

 respirations were tlve in a minute, and more regular than 

 In Experiment III. ; the pulse beat 80 in a minute. Five 

 minutes after, I found the pulse 120 in a minute, respiratio!i 

 unaltered ; at the cuid often minutes, the pulse had again 

 sunk to SO in a minute, respiration as before ; at the end 

 of fifteen minutes, the pulse was again 120, respiration 

 not altered. The operation was performed about two in. 

 the afternoon, at Mr. Hunter's in .Jermyn-street. At three- 

 qu^ters of an hour after five, the respirations were in- 

 creased to fifteen in a minute ; the pulse beating 80 in the 

 same time, and very regularly : the breathing seemed so 

 free, that he had the appearance of a dog asleep. At a 

 quarter before eight, the pulse beat 80, respirations being 

 ten in a minute. At three-quarters of an hour after ten, re- 

 spiration, was eight in a minute, the pulse beating 6o. The 

 animal heat was exceedingly abated i I applied iieat to the ' 

 chest, he lireathtd stronger, and rait^ed his head a little, as 

 if awaking from sleep. At Ijalf after t\\ elve Mr. Huntet 

 saw him ; the breathing was strong, and twelve in a mi- 

 nute, the heart beating forty-eight in the same time, slow, 

 but not feeble. liii shut his eyelids when they were 

 touched ; shut his nuuiih on its being opened ; he raised 

 his head a little, but as he had not the use of the muscles 

 which fix the chest, he did it with a jerk. Mr. Hunter 

 saw him again between four and five o'clock in the morn- 

 ing ; his respirations were then live in a minute, the heart 



bealincr 



