1863.] 593 



oichloride of platinum. In order to prevent the possibility of the 

 loss of any ammonia, I directed blood from the carotid artery of a 

 calf fairly into a Woulfe's bottle by means of a vulcanized india-rubber 

 tube tied into the vessel, and then drew a certain volume of air 

 through it by means of an aspirating jar, the experiment being per- 

 formed first before, and then during asphyxia. The same procedure 

 was adopted with a second calf, the animal being in each case under 

 chloroform, which does not interfere with the development during 

 asphyxia of the peculiarity in the blood above alluded to ; but I could 

 not find satisfactory evidence of accumulation of ammonia ; and with- 

 out going further into the question at present, I may say that it 

 seems much more probable that the effect is due to carbonic acid, 

 which is known to have a retarding influence on coagulation, and 

 which probably accumulates greatly in asphyxial blood. 



But in justice to the author of the ammonia theory, and to myself, 

 too, who at one time expressed a qualified belief in it, it is but fair 

 to say that this theory is extremely plausible. It has been well 

 shown by Dr. Richardson that ammonia is a substance well fitted to 

 keep the blood fluid if it be present in a sufficient quantity. An ex- 

 periment of my own illustrates very well the same point. I drew 

 out a tube about a quarter of an inch in calibre (fig. 4), so that while 



Fig. 4. 



for two inches at one end it retained its original width, the rest (some 

 ten inches) was pretty narrow, though far from having the capillary 

 fineness of those before described. Into the thick part I introduced 

 a drop of strong liquor ammonia, A, and then securely corked that 

 end of the tube, C. The object of this was that there should be a 

 strong ammoniacal atmosphere in the narrow part of the tube. I then 

 opened a branch of a vein, V, in the neck of a sheep, introduced the 

 narrow end of the tube into the vessel, and pushing it in so that its 



