. GASES FOUND IN THE ALIMENTARY CANAL. 411 



gendie and Chevreul collected and analyzed a small quantity 

 from the stomach of an executed criminal a short time after 

 death, and ascertained that it had the following compo- 

 sition : 1 



Gases contained in the Stomach. 



Oxygen 11-00 



Carbonic Acid 14-00 



Pure Hydrogen 3-55 



Nitrogen 71*45 



100-00 



Magendie and Chevreul found three different gases in the 

 small intestine. Their examinations were made upon three 

 criminals soon after execution. The first was twenty-four 

 years of age, and two hours before execution had eaten bread 

 and Gruyere cheese and drunk red wine and water. The 

 second, who was executed at the 1 same time, was twenty- 

 three years of age, and the conditions as regards digestion 

 were the same. The third was twenty-eight years of age, 

 and four hours before death, he ate bread, beef, and lentils, 

 and drank red wine and water. The following was the re- 

 sult of the analyses. 2 



(rases contained in the Small Intestine. 



First Criminal Second Criminal. Third Criminal. 



Carbonic acid 24-39 40*00 25-00 



Pure Hydrogen 55-53 51-15 8-40 



Nitrogen 20-08 8'85 66*60 



100-00 100-00 100-00 



No oxygen was found in either of the examinations, and 

 the quantities of the other gases were so variable as to lead to 

 the supposition that their proportion is not at all definite. 

 "We have already alluded to the mechanical function of these 

 gases in intestinal digestion. 3 



1 MAGENDIE, Prtcis tflementaire de Physiologic, Paris, 1836, tome ii., p. 89. 

 3 Ibid., p. 115. 

 3 See page 379. 



