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of paralysis, show also that in such conditions cadaveric rigidity sets 

 in late and lasts long, and that putrefaction also appears late and 

 progresses slowly. 



(1) In the muscles of the leg of a dog, paralysed by section of the 

 roots of the sciatic nerve, on one side, in the spinal canal, there was 

 an excessive irritability at the time of death (by asphyxia), five 

 hours after the section of the nerve-roots. In the paralysed muscles 

 irritability lasted ten hours ; cadaveric rigidity appeared nearly at 

 the time of the cessation of irritability *, and lasted nearly thirteen 

 daysf. Putrefaction was evident only on the beginning of the fifteenth 

 day, and it was not very much advanced on the seventeenth day. 

 In the healthy leg muscular irritability lasted but four hours, and was, 

 as usual, at once followed by some degree of cadaveric rigidity. 

 During nearly five days this rigidity lasted, and putrefaction was 

 evident as soon as the sixth day, and much advanced on the seventh, 

 at a time when the paralysed limb was still perfectly rigid. The 

 temperature of the room during the fortnight the experiment lasted 

 ranged between 6 and 11 Cent. (42'8 to 51-8 Fahr.) The 

 following shows at a glance the differences between the two legs : 



Durat. of irrit. Durat. of cad. rigid. Advanced putref. 

 Paralysed muscles ..10 hours. 1 3 days. 1 7th day. 



Healthy muscles ... 4 hours. 5 days. 7th day. 



(2) I have found that muscular irritability is very much increased 

 in the paralysed limb of an animal on which a lateral half of the 

 spinal cord has been divided transversely in the dorsal region. In 

 this case, as well as after paralysis from section of a nerve, cadaveric 

 rigidity sets in later and lasts longer, and putrefaction appears later, 

 and proceeds slower in the paralysed hind leg (on the side of the 

 section of the cord) than in the other. 



(3) A month after the section of a nerve we have another kind of 

 verification of the law : irritability is then diminished in the para- 

 lysed muscles ; and we find that cadaveric rigidity sets in sooner and 



* Usually some muscles or some parts of a muscle are already rigid while irri- 

 tability still remains in other parts. This was the case in a marked manner in the 

 above experiment, especially in the paralysed leg. 



f In dogs, cadaveric rigidity lasts longer than in most other animals. I have 

 seen it lasting twenty-six days in a healthy dog killed by asphyxia in midwinter 

 in Paris. 



