EXPERIMENTS OF BOERHAAVE AND HUNTER. 369 



The authors being greatly surprised at the rapiJity with which the pois^on of 

 Java, 6cc., appeared to enter the sanguiferous system, instituted a series of 

 experiments to determine whether these substances proceeded to that system 

 by the circuitous route of the absorbent vessels, or by the shorter course of 

 the veins. Two of their experiments are especially interesting. They made 

 an incision through the parietes of the abdomen of a living dog, who had 

 eaten a large quantity of meat some hours before, (that his lacteals might be 

 visible from their distention with chyle,) and drawing out a portion of the 

 small intestine, they applied two ligatures to it, at the distance of five inches 

 from each other. The portion of intestine between these ligatures was then 

 separated by incision from the rest of the intestinal tube, and all the lacteals 

 and blood-vessels, &:c., which passed to and from it, were divided, except one 

 artery and a vein. A considerable length of this artery and vein were de- 

 tached from all the surrounding parts, so that the authors supposed these 

 vessels to form the only connexion between the portion of the intestine^ and 

 the rest of the body. Into the cavity of the intestine, which was thus cir- 

 cumstanced, they introduced a small quantity of the poison, and, to their 

 astonishment, it produced its fatal effects in the same manner it would have 

 done if it had been introduced into the intestine while all its connexions with 

 the body were entire. This experiment, they assert, was repeated several 

 times, without any difference in the result. 



After several other experiments, they finally separated the thigh from the body 

 of a living dog in such a manner, that the crural artery and vein were left 

 undivided. A quill was then introduced into the artery, and two ligatures 

 were applied to fix it round the quill. The artery was then divided between 

 the two ligatures. The vein was managed in the same manner. There was, 

 therefore, no communication between the limb and the body, except by the 

 blood which passed through the divided vessels and the quills. The poison 

 was then introduced under the skin of the foot, and soon occasioned the death 

 of the animal ; its deleterious effects commencing about four minutes after 

 its application to the foot. This experiment appears to prove decidedly that 

 the blood is the vehicle by which poison, when applied to the extremities, is 

 carried to the body ; although it may not determine the question whether this 

 poison was taken up by the absorbents or by the veins * 



Some other experiments made by the authors gave results, which are very diffi- 

 cult indeed to explain. They wished to know if the blood of an animal thus 

 contaminated, would produce similar effects upon another animal ; and, with 

 a view to ascertain this point, they insinuated a small piece of wood, covered 

 with the poison, into the thick part of the left side of the nose of a dog. 

 Three minutes after the introduction of the poison, they transfused blood from 

 the jugular vein of the same side, into one of the veins of another dog. 

 About one minute after the commencement of the transfusion, the effects of 

 the poison began in the dog to which it was applied, and continued until his 

 death. Transfusion into the veins of the other dog went on during the whole 

 time, and he received a large quantity of blood from the dying dog, without 

 producing any effect. They varied this experiment in the following manner. 

 The thigh of a dog was separated from the body ; the artery and the vein 



* Tliis experiment has been repeatefl in Philadelphia. See Professor Chapman's Medical 

 and Physical Journal for February, 1823, No. 10.— h. 



