July 20, 1876] 



NATURE 



251 



locomotion ? What other stimulants than galvanism would 

 excite muscular movement after systemic death ? 



The above-named questions follow in series in relation 

 to the condition of the animal body and its parts after 

 death. In addition other observations were made to 

 which it is necessary to refer. 



The influence of the narcotics on the temperature of the 

 body immediately before and after death was studied 

 with much care. The variations of the animal tempera- 

 tures under different degrees of natural atmospheric tem- 

 peratures, from summer heat to extreme of winter cold, 

 were noted. The different modifications of temperature 

 that occurred in different organs of the body, brain, 

 stomach, lungs, heart, liver, and abdominal cavity imme- 

 diately after death were also observed. 



The influence of the anaesthetic vapours on the minute 

 or capillary circulation of the blood was determined by 

 microscopical obseivation. In these experiments the web 

 of the foot of the frog was made the field of observation. 

 The animals were narcotised with the different vapours, and 

 while narcotised the state of the circulation through the 

 minute vessels, arterial and venous, was recorded during 

 every stage of narcotism, and was compared with the 

 state of the same parts that existed previous to the induc- 

 tion of the narcotic condition. The information sought 

 for in this part of the inquiry related to the action of the 

 narcotic vapour on the circulation of the blood corpuscles 

 through the minute vessels ; the changes of form in the cor- 

 puscles, red and white, if any changes occurred in them ; 

 the changes in the calibre of the vessels on the arterial 

 and venous side ; the point of arrest of the circulation 

 through the vessels when the circulation finally stopped ; 

 the point of return of motion if the circulation were 

 restored ; and, the effect of various changes of external 

 conditions such as warmth, cold, and moisture on the 

 circulation during the stages of narcotic sleep. 



One other important part of this line of inquiry was the 

 determination of the conditions in which an animal body 

 assumed to be dead could be best kept so as to retain 

 those states of organs and parts which are favourable to 

 the re-establishment of living motion. Should the body 

 be left in a warm or a cold atmosphere ? What circum- 

 stances determine the suspension of the process of 

 coagulation of the blood and of cadaveric rigidity ? 

 Briefly stated these were the points of inquiry sought for 

 under the first direction of research. By them I have 

 been able to distinguish the conditions in which all the 

 known anaesthetics leave the organs of the body when 

 thev kill. 



II. 



In the second line of inquiry the objects sought after 

 were the rational means, suggested by the previous 

 inquiries, for recalling animation after the signs of life 

 have ceased. In this direction the following questions 

 were asked : — 



1. What is the precise value of artificial respiration f 

 What is the most perfect method of carrying out artificial 

 respiration ? How long should the process of artificial 

 respiration be continued, and what are the proofs that 

 its continuance will be useless ? When it has proved 

 useful in restoring natural respiration, how long should it 

 be continued ? What dangers are connected with its em- 

 ployment ? 



2. Is it possible when the phenomena of suspended 

 animation are present, to restore the circulation ? By this 

 process, to which I have %\wtr\.\hQTi2XCit. oi artificial circti- 

 lation {British and Foreign Medico-Chirurgical Review, 

 April, 1863), I tried to restore the current of blood 

 through the vessels, by transfusion of other blood ; by 

 mechanically pumping the blood within the veins of the 

 dead body, over the lungs into the arterial circuit ; by 

 attempting to draw the blood over into the arterial circuit 

 from the venous circuit ; by altering the position of the 

 body in alternate motion up and down. 



3. Is it possible to combine artificial respiration with arti- 

 ficial circulation ? In this endeavour I tried the combination 

 of the two methods, and with the hope of being able to 

 drive or draw a current of blood over the lungs while the 

 blood remained fluid, and of being able also to aerate the 

 blood in its passage by keeping up artificial respiration. 



4. Is it possible to utilise the galvanic current so as to 

 restore animation ? In this inquiry the galvanic current 

 was employed so as to call into play the action of the 

 muscles of respiration : the heart : the voluntary muscles. 



5. Can the heart, after it has stopped, be excited into 

 motion by injecting into it agents which stimulate it to 

 contraction? In this inquiry ammonia and other ex- 

 citants were injected into the heart, while artificial 

 respiration was maintained. 



6. What is the value of external warmth in various 

 degrees for restoring animation ? In this research the 

 effects of warm external applications, warm sand, moist 

 warm air, dry warm air, moist warm straw, and oTher 

 similar means were carefully tested. 



In the briefest terms I have thus sketched out the 

 mode of inquiry adopted in the course of experimentation 

 now under notice. Fuller details are rercided in the 

 paper published in 1863 in the Medico-Chirurgical Re- 

 view, but these now given are sufficient for this abstract. 



Results. 



The practical results which have followed on these 

 researches are very numerous, I will write those which 

 seem to be most practical and useful. 



On Artificial Respiration. — In respect to artificial 

 respiration the followmg facts were learned : — 



If artificial respiration be sustained, even with an at- 

 mosphere of chloroform that is sufficiently narcotic to 

 keep up deep narcotism, the action of the heart continues 

 and recovery of life is possible. In brief, the mode of death 

 from chloroform and perhaps from all the other narcotic 

 vapours is actually due to the arrest of the current of blood 

 through the minute vessels in the circuit of the lungs. 



Artificial respiration, when perfectly carried out, was 

 found sufficient to restore life after natural respiration 

 had entirely ceased, and when all external evidence 

 of motion of the heart had also ceased. To make this 

 fact matter of direct application, I invented a double- 

 acting elastic hand-bellows, which performed when in 

 action the double purpose of emptying the lungs of their 

 contained air by one movement, and of filling them with 

 fresh atmospheric air by another movement. I also 

 arranged the instrument in such manner, that on 

 emptying the lungs of air a current of blood is mechani- 

 cally drawn upwards from the right side of the heart, by 

 which the oppression of the right side of the heart from 

 tension is removed, and its muscular contraction is re- 

 called into play. My latest instrument for this purpose 

 is now so graduated, that measured quantities of air 

 can be withdrawn and introduced, and the physico- 

 chemical action of the lungs can be imitated with the 

 greatest refinement, and with results that are different 

 to any that have been gained before. Thus, after death 

 from some of the narcotic vapours I have been able to 

 restore life as long as eleven minutes after all the external 

 signs of life have ceased. The results of the experiments 

 proved also that when once the natural respiration is esta- 

 blished the artificial ought to cease, so that the enfeebled 

 circulation and respiration may return into play together. 

 Further, the experimentation showed that artificial respi- 

 ration, while it may be made, by delicate using, an all but 

 certain means for the restoration of life after death from 

 narcotic vapours, it may by bad use be made the certain 

 means of ensuring death ; that in performing it any rude 

 movement of the body, or any violent inflation of the lung, 

 or any attempt to inflate the lung while the lung is full of air, 

 and the right side of the heart, full of blood, is sufficient 

 to complete the process of destruction of balance and to 

 cause unavoidable death. In a word, the experimentation 



