THE VITAL FUNCTIONS. 863 



remained alive three hours; the second three 

 minutes ; and the third one minute. But when 

 he rilled the same vessel with oxygen gas, he 

 found that the first sparrow lived five hours 

 twenty- three minutes ; the second, two hours ten 

 minutes; the third, one hour thirty minutes; the 

 fourth, one hour ten minutes ; the fifth, thirty 

 minutes ; the sixth, forty-seven minutes ; the 

 seventh, twenty-seven minutes ; the eighth, thirty 

 minutes ; the ninth, twenty- two minutes; and the 

 tenth, twenty-two minutes. 



Dr. Beddoes also found that when one of two 

 half-grown rabbits of the same brood, size, and 

 strength, was placed for some hours in a gaseous 

 mixture composed of one half oxygen, and the 

 remainder of common air, it remained lively for 

 nearly an hour, while surrounded by a freezing 

 mixture, although its feet were frozen : whereas 

 the one which had breathed common air, became 

 nearly lifeless in forty minutes, and was frozen 

 quite dead in fifty-five minutes. In another ex- 

 periment, he caused one of two kittens to respire 

 common air, and the other a mixture of two- 

 thirds oxygen with one-third of atmospheric air 

 for twenty minutes; when both were immersed 

 under water until they became motionless. On 

 taking them out, the latter recovered in one mi- 

 nute and a half and walked about, while the other 

 was fifteen minutes in reviving, when it was 

 scarcelv able to stand. He further ascertained, 



