132 LOCALIZED ELECTRIZATION. 



in the laboratory of M. Liegeois and in my own, with somewhat 

 more precision, by making the induced current pass through the 

 water moderator, to be described hereafter. We have also experi- 

 mented comparatively, with the ascending and descending con- 

 tinuous current, in asphyxia by strangulation and in asphyxia 

 from chloroform. 



The therapeutical results, in all these experiments, have been 

 precisely the same ; and they fully justify the following conclu- 

 sions in the report of M. Liegeois : — 



" After the experiments that have been related," he says, " it 

 will be understood that it is impossible for us to assign to con- 

 tinuous currents, for asphyxia produced either by chloroform or by 

 strangulation, a superiority of action over intermittent currents. 

 In placing them on the same level, we believe that we shall state 

 the truth." 



In their practical aspect, the conclusions of IM. Liegeois are not 

 less important. " If," he says, " we leave the laboratory for the 

 region of practice, we cannot refrain from assigning to induced 

 currents the pre-eminence. In fact, in the first place, it is diffi- 

 cult to have the command of an apparatus like that of Kemak 

 (specially recommended by IMM. Legros and Onimus for the 

 application of continuous currents in asphyxia), composed of 

 twenty, thirty, or forty of Daniell's elements, while it is very easy 

 to obtain an induction instrument that is simple of management, 

 of small bulk, and that may be carried by the surgeon wherever 

 he goes." 



" Moreover," continues M. Liegeois, " by the confession even of 

 MM. Legros and Onimus, the continuous currents only restore the 

 heart's action when applied to the cerebro-spinal axis. It is in 

 vain, they said at our meeting, to apply them to the heart 

 directly, to the diaphragm, or to the phrenic nerves; when thus 

 employed, they never restore animals to life. But, in man, the 

 efficacy of induced currents applied to these various organs has 

 already received confirmation from experience." 



Upon the last point again, I jtm entirely in accord with M. 

 Liegeois ; and, whenever I have been called to the aid of a j^erson 

 asphyxiated, or menaced by arrest of the heart's action or of the 

 respiration by some grave disorder of innervation, I have always 

 chosen to arm myself with an induction apparatus, not only 

 because it is more portable, but also because, under such circum- 

 stances, it is capable of fulfilling many important indications 

 which cannot be fulfilled by galvanization with continuous 

 currents ; principally in the maintenance of artificial respiration 

 by faradization of the phrenic nerve (very preferable, in certain 



