is prodriccd by certain vrgefable Poisons. 87 



into the stomach ofa younger rabbit. Twq minutes after- 

 wards, he evidently was affected by the spirits, and in three 

 minutes more he lav on one side motionless aiid insensible. 

 The pupils of the eves weie ptrtectly uilatu'd ; tiicre were 

 occasional slisilit convulsive motions oLthe extremities ; ihe 

 respiraiion was laborious, it was gradually performed at 

 louiier and longer intervals, and at the end of an hour and 

 fiiieen minutes had entirely ceased. Two minutes after 

 the animal was apparently dead, I opened into the thorax, 

 and found the heart acting with moderate force and Ire- 

 quency, circulatins}; dark-coloured blo^d. I introduced a 

 tube into the trachea, and produced artificial respi;.-. ion by 

 inflating the lungs, and found that by ihese means the^ction 

 of the heart might be kept up to the natural standard, as ia 

 an animal frou) whom the head is removed, 



Ex/j. 4. I injected into ihc stomach of a rabbit two 

 ounces of proof spirits. The injection was scaicdy com- 

 pleted, when the animal became perfectly insensible. Pre- 

 cisely the same symptoms took place as in the last experi- 

 ment, and at the end of twenty-seven minutes, from the 

 time of the iujectLon, the rabbit was apparently dead; but 

 on examining the thorax the heart was found still acting, 

 as in the last experiuient. 



It has been shown by M. Bichat, and the observation has 

 been confirmed by some experin)tnts which I have lately 

 had the honour of communicating to this learned Society, 

 that the brain is not directly necessary to the action of the 

 heart, and that, wben the functions of the brain are de- 

 stroyed, the heart continues to coniracl for some time after- 

 wards, and then ceases only in consequence of the sus- 

 pension of respiration, which is under the influence of the 

 brain. 



It would appear, from the experiments which I have 

 just detailed, that the symptoms produced by a large quan- 

 tity of spirits taken into the stomach, arise entirely from dis- 

 turbance of the functions of the brain. Ti)e complete in- 

 sensibility to external impressions; the dilatation of the pu- 

 pds of the eyes ; and the loss of motion, indicate that the 

 function> of this organ are suspended ; respiration, which. 

 is under its infiuence, is ill performed, und at last altogether 

 ceases ; while the heart, to the action of which the brain 

 is not directly necessary, coniiiuies to contract, circulating 

 Uark- coloured blood for some tune afterwards. 



There is a sinking analogy between the symptoms arising 

 from spirits taken internally, and those produced by injuries 

 pf the brain. 



F4 Coiit 



