MINERAL POISONS. 83 



felt. The hind legs became paralysed.* He 

 grew insensible, and lay motionless, but with 

 occasional convulsions. At the end of 53 mi- 

 nutes from the time of the arsenic being ap- 

 plied, he was apparently dead ; but on opening 

 the thorax, the heart was found still acting, 

 though very slowly and feebly. A tube was 

 introduced into the trachea, and the lungs were 

 artificially inflated; but this appeared to have 

 no effect in prolonging the heart's action. On 

 dissection, the inner membrane of the stomach 

 was found slightly inflamed. 



EXPEEIMENT IV. 



Two drachms of arseniac acid, dissolved in six 

 ounces of water, were injected into the stomach 

 of a dog by means of a tube of elastic gum, 

 passed down the oesophagus. In three minutes 

 he vomited a small quantity of mucus ; and this 

 occurred again several times. The pulse became 



* I have observed, that where the functions of the brain 

 are disturbed, paralysis first takes place in the muscles of the 

 hind legs ; afterwards in those of the trunk and fore legs ; 

 and last of all in the muscles of the ears and face. These 

 facts seem to show, that the influence of the brain, like that 

 of the heart, is not propagated with the same facility to the 

 distant as to the near organs ; and this is further confirmed 

 by cases of disease which occasionally occur, in which, al- 

 though the paralysis is confined to the lower half of the 

 body, the morbid appearances met with on dissection are 

 confined to the brain. 



G 2 



