1823.] an Operation for Phthiais Pnlmona/is. 431 



and distressing, which did not arise altogether from the presence 

 of air in the cavities, but principally from the violent protrusion 

 of the inferior margins of the lungs, because the instant the 

 openings were permitted to contract, so as to prevent that acci- 

 dent, respiration became more easy. About ten minutes after, 

 the second opening was made, before the lips of the wounds 

 were brought together. The dog, when let loose, walked, was 

 weak, but breathed easy ; would taste nothing until the next 

 morning, when he appeared lively, took his food, and regained 

 his strength daily. The ninth day after the operation, he was 

 hanged, and the trachea tied, to prevent the collapse of the 

 lungs, on opening the chest. Dissection : no morbid appear- 

 ance in the cavities of the chest ; the wounds were healed inter- 

 nally, but not quite externally. The lungs did not reach by two 

 inches the lowermost part of their cavities, nor did their bulk 

 appear equal to the filling of the other parts of their cavities. 



Exper. 2. — Dr. Traill, Mr. Christian, and Mr. Dawson, sur- 

 geons, were present. The operation was performed in the same 

 manner as the first ; the openings were better than an inch in 

 length : both lungs wounded in the operation in consequence of 

 the dog struggling (his hind legs not being sufficiently extended). 

 The lungs did not protrude, but the wounded part of the one 

 that was most seriously injured by the knife was observed to 

 present itself at each expiration opposite the aperture. Will a 

 wounded lung protrude under every circumstance that a sound 

 one will? The above medical gentlemen were convinced that the 

 lungs only partially contracted, and that they were not in a 

 quiescent state, but that respiration more or less oppressed, 

 according as the openings were expanded, continued uninter- 

 ruptedly during the experiment. A silver catheter introduced 

 into the chest was moved about by the alternate contraction and 

 distension of the lung. The dog was detained with both aper- 

 tures wide open for the space of five minutes ; then untied, with- 

 out bringing the edges of the wounds together. He was rather 

 lively, shook his tail, drew himself upon his belly along the 

 floor, then lay down on one side, and contracted himself, as if 

 to close the openings ; whether it was instinct or accident that 

 induced him to choose that position, it certainly had that effect, 

 thereby enabling him to breathe easier ; though his breathing, 

 after he was let loose, did not appear much distressed, his 

 strength was considerably exhausted. About an hour after, the 

 edges of the wounds were brought together ; during the inter- 

 mediate hour, the external air communicated with the cavities. 

 He refused his food until next day, when he recovered his appe- 

 tite, and regained his strength apace. The fifth day after the 

 operation, the dog was hanged. Dissection : the internal edges 

 of the wounds healed ; the left lung had a deep plum-coloured 

 circular spot, as large as the circumference of a crown piece, 



