ADDITIONS TO THE REVISED EDITION OF 1880. 637 



rubber tube with a funnel attached to it ; in the latter case the force 

 of the injection is regulated by the height at which the funnel is 

 held. Four or five pints of water may often be poured into the 

 bowel if we proceed gradually. Of course, if the patient be very 

 feeble, the knee-elbow or knee-breast position may be omitted, and 

 the patient lie on the back. Where the obstruction is low down, its 

 existence may sometimes be detected by introducing the hand and 

 forearm (well oiled) into the rectum (as done by Simon} ; but this 

 must be done carefully, and with the knowledge that it may cause 

 rupture of the rectum. Undigested food accumulating may cause 

 intestinal catarrh and liquefaction of the faeces ; at the same time 

 there may be increased peristaltic action ; the two together may 

 drive the accumulation through the contraction ; then a period of 

 comfort may follow if the patient keeps on light, digestible diet. 



3. P. 633. 



From his "Experiments and Reflections upon Animal Heat," 

 Dr. Austin Flint, Jr., concludes that animal heat is produced by 

 the oxidation in the body of certain elements, such as nitrogen, car- 

 bon, and hydrogen. This oxidation does not occur solely in the 

 blood ; it is connected with nutrition and disassimilation. The 

 final products of the chemical action are urea, carbonic acid, and 

 water. The amount of urea and carbonic acid excreted would not 

 account for the amount of heat produced ; but if we admit that hy- 

 drogen is oxidized in the body, resulting in the evolution of heat 

 and water, it would account for the manifest heat as well as for 

 some to be converted into force. When no food is taken, or food 

 being taken when muscular work is done so as to cause loss of 

 weight, water is produced in the body ; this would account for the 

 heat evolved. Animal heat is produced mainly by oxidation of hy- 

 drogen, carbon, and nitrogen, whose heat-value is in the order they 

 stand. It is probable that there is always a certain amount of oxi- 

 dation of hydrogen in the body, and that this is necessary to main- 

 tain the animal temperature ; and it is almost certain that this 

 occurs during prolonged abstinence from food, and when the pro- 

 duction of heat is much increased by violent and protracted muscu- 

 lar exertion. It may be also that there is an active and unusual oxi- 

 dation of hydrogen as well as of carbon in fevers. If the excessive 

 heat in fevers be partly due to oxidation of hydrogen, why would 

 not the emaciation be moderated by a liberal supply of hydrogen in 

 the shape of fats, starch, sugar, and alcohol ? 



