FARADIZATION OF INTERNAL ORGANS. 105 



urine ordiuarily. I believe this to be the first repetition, on roan, 

 of the experiments of M. CI. Bernard upon animals ; in whom he 

 produced a temporary diabetes by faradization of tlie pneumo- 

 gastrics.^ 



7. — Faradization of the diaphragm. 



I shall explain the method of applying faradization to the dia- 

 phragm, in the electro-pathological study of that muscle. 



[Duclieune's method of exciting the diaphragm is to place a conical metallic 

 rheophore, covered with wet leather, on each phrenic nerve, to allow a very 

 rapid current to pass, and to interrui^t it at regular intervals to allow of 

 expiration. In order to tind the phrenic nerve, he presses the skin of the 

 neck in opposite directions (outwards and inwards) by two fingers placed 

 over the external border of the clavicular fasciculus of the sterno-mastoid. 

 The rheophore is then placed between the fingers, across the course of the 

 nerve and pressed down. — //. T.] 



8. — The portion of intestine com'prised 'between the stomach and the 

 rectum, although inaccessible to direct faradization, may be excited 

 by reflex action. 



It is possible to excite the intestine indirectly, by a sort of 

 reflex action, by placing the rheophores on two very distant points 

 of the canal. Thus M. Leroy (d'Etiolles) has j^roduced evacua- 

 tions by passing galvanic currents from the mouth to the rectum.^ 

 In 1854 (the time at which I made my experimental researches 

 upon the functions of the diaphragm), I repeated this experiment 

 upon horses, with M. U. Leblanc, by passing an induced current of 

 rapid intermissions. I confess that I was not able to obtain an 

 alvine evacuation, whatever might be the intensity of the induced 

 current. But we remarked that during its passage, if it were 

 intense and very rapid, the sacro-spinal muscles, the respiratory 

 muscles, and the motor muscles of the limbs, became tetanic.^ 



' Lefons de Physiologie experimentaU. i and one of the members of the council 

 Paris, 1856. Tome i. has proved, by application to the living 



Leroy (d'Etiolles), Memoire siir le 

 traitement de I'ileus et des etranglemtnts 

 intestinaux internes, lu a VAcademie de 

 M^de'eine, 1826, suivi d'un rapport de 

 M. P. Dubois {Archives g€ae'rales de 

 Medecine, tome iii.). Rapport fait a la 

 Societe' ge'ne'rale des nauf rages (^Asphyxie), 



hiunan subject, that it is possible in this 

 way, without risk, to produce energetic 

 intestinal contractions. Lastly, M. Les- 

 trohan has shown, by experiments upon 

 animals, the utility of the same current 

 in asphyxia." 



The experiments were conducted in 



Journal de la Socie'te' generate des nau- ! various ways. 1. In a horse lying ujion 



frages, tome iv. 1840. 



" To stimulate the contractility of the 

 digestive tube, there is," he says, " another 



its side, its feet secured by hobbles, the 

 rheophores of my induction instiument 

 were placed, the one in the mouth, and 



and a more powerful means, more speedy j the other in the anus, the instrument 

 and less hurtful than tobacco fumigations, I working with rapid intermissions and a 

 namely, the establislmient of a galvanic , medium degree of intensity. They 

 current from the mouth to the anus, immediately produced general tetaniform 

 This contractile action was long ago dis- convulsions in the limbs and trunk, 

 played by experiments upon animals ; but no alvine evacuation. During the 



N 



