ARTERIAL BLOOD. 605 



tile power of the muscles remains for a long time, 

 and is not wholly extinguished until the body 

 becomes cold, as shown by the rigidity or stiffen- 

 ing that takes place after death. 



This brings us to one of the most important 

 laws of the animal economy, which, when fully 

 understood, will unfold the rationale of spasmodic 

 diseases, and lead to the true method of curing, 

 or rather of preventing them viz. that the dura- 

 tion of life in any part of the body, when deprived 

 of arterial blood, is inversely as the quantity of 

 blood required to maintain its activity. The con- 

 sequence of this law is, that whenever the chemi- 

 cal function of the lungs is diminished, and the 

 vital properties of the blood are impaired, the 

 voluntary power of the brain ceases to operate 

 some time before the moving power of the mus- 

 cles, which contract without its orders, and there- 

 fore in a convulsive manner. The more suddenly 

 the power of the brain is arrested, the more de- 

 cided and energetic is the spasmodic action, 

 which always follows decapitation, excessive and 

 rapid hemorrhage, strangulation, the action of 

 hydrocyanic acid, and other narcotic poisons, the 

 inhalation of mephitic gases, and whatever pre- 

 vents the arterialization of the blood. It is there- 

 fore manifest, that convulsions are owing chiefly 

 to diminished power of the brain, (which cannot 

 direct the locomotive organs with intelligence, 

 unless supplied with good arterial blood,) and 



