278 CIRCULATORY SYSTEM. 



solitary, 1 have felt no disposition to array it against them, at 

 least, until farther and more decided experience. My second ex- 

 periment on the human subject was made in April, 1833, under 

 the following circumstances: A white female, aged 24, died at 

 the Alms House, suddenly, and in the ninth month of pregnan- 

 cy, the foatus was still in utero, but the membranes were rup- 

 tured. In the presence of several of the physcians and students, 

 and with the assistance of my young friend, Dr. Goddard, to 

 whose suggestions and manipulations I am indebted for the che- 

 mical compounds resorted to, I injected through the aorta one 

 gallon of the saturated solution of Prussiate of potash, and fol- 

 lowed it with an equal quantity of a saturated solution of sul- 

 phate of iron. The injection penetrated very minutely, as might 

 be expected, and the precipitate of Prussian blue coloured deep- 

 ly many parts of the skrn. On dissecting the uterus, the uteVine 

 arteries were found well injected, but the injection did not reach 

 the umbilical vein or arteries, as was proved both by simple in- 

 spection and by chemical test. 



Having cut out the uterus and taken it to the University, the 

 experiment was continued the next day in the presence of a 

 large concourse of students and several physicians. The um- 

 bilical vessels were first of all injected with a saturated solution 

 of bichromate of potash, and then with a saturated solution of 

 sugar of lead, the result was a strong, yellow precipitate, the 

 bichromate of lead. The injection passed reciprocally from 

 the arteries into the vein, or from the vein into the arteries, 

 conformably to the direction in which it was thrown for the 

 time. The sinuses of the uterus were then injected with similar 

 materials to those of the uterine arteries; to wit, a solution of 

 Prussiate of potash, followed by one of sulphate of iron. 



The umbilical vessels were then all filled with liquid plaster of 

 Paris coloured yellow ; and the uterine sinuses with liquid plas- 

 ter of Paris coloured blue, of which they readily received eigh- 

 teen ounces. A short time having been allowed for the setting 

 of the injection, I cut into the substance of the uterus and of the 

 placenta. No yellow injection was found in the vessels of the 

 uterus, nor was there any blue injection found in the umbilical 

 vessels of the placenta ; there was, therefore, a deficiency of evi- 

 dence of direct vascular communication between the foetus and 



