1821.] the Nervous System on Animal Heat. 41 



diminution of animal heat in the section of the brain. It is 

 then no longer possible to admit that the animal heat is under the 

 immediate dependance of the brain, and it is natural to conclude, 

 that decapitation influences animal heat so remarkably only from 

 the influence exercised by the brain on the functions of the 

 spinal marrow. 



(b.) Sections of the Dorsal Portion of the Spinal Marrow.— 

 Without entering into the particulars of any of these experi- 

 ments, which will be found in the original paper, I shall relate 

 only, that we see now, for the first time, a phenomenon which 

 we did not observe in any of the former experiments ; viz. that 

 from the section in the fourth or fifth intervertebral space of the 

 dorsal part of the spine, the refrigeration of the body is no more 

 continued, but is interrupted by a period of reaction, which is 

 of variable duration (some hours), the true image of a fit of fever, 

 and characterized by shivering, a quick and hard pulse, and the 

 increase of animal heat. This increase is in general the more slow 

 and feeble as the section is made higher up,* and has elevated 

 the animal heat in the lower of these spaces higher than its 

 original standard (in the last of these spaces I have observed 

 the 12th hour from the operation 42'9°, the original state being 

 41- 1 = ). This complication preventing us from deducing the 

 average refrigeration from these experiments as from the preced- 

 ing, I have chosen for them another mode of comparison ; that 

 of comparing the greatest refrigeration observed in the three first 

 hours consequent to the operation, without paying any atten- 

 tion to the reactions which might happen in the interval. It is 

 on this principle that the following table has been conducted : 



Maximum of refrigeration. 



Exper. • 2. Section of the brain 8° 3' 



Exper. 8. Section of the spinal marrow below 



• the 7th cervical vertebra 8 2 



Exper. 9. Sect, in the 1st. intervertebral 



space of the dorsum 7 6 



Exper. 10 2d 



Exper. 11 3d 



Exper. 12 4th 



Exper. 13. s 5th 



Exper. 14 6th 



Exper. 15 7th 



• T lie following tabic shows the degree of refrigeration which had already taken place 

 when reaction began to manifest itself: 



Exper. 1 .'. Section in the 4th intervertebral space (dorsi) 34 7° 



Exper. 1 a 5th 350 



Exper 14 (>th S5"7 



Exper. 15 7th .... 38*3 



Exper.Ki Sth 39-0 



Exper.lH 10th 39-3 



Exper. 20 ISth 40'5 



