io8 



NA TURE 



[May 31, 1894 



powerful hydrodynamic pressure before referred to, a 

 very severe effect is produced, namely, complete arrest 

 of the respiration and a slight fall of the central blood 

 pressure, this causing a similar feeble fall in the peripheral 

 blood pressure. A little later (5-10 sees.) than the arrest of 

 respiration a remarkable rise in the blood pressure 

 occurs, this rise continuing until the normal tension is 

 exceeded. These observations prove beyond doubt that 

 the first cause of death is not what it is usually supposed 

 to be, and as taught in the text-books, namely arrest of 

 the heart and syncope, since, as you see, the heart goes 

 on beating although the respiration has completely 

 stopped. Furthermore, if we quickly perform artificial 

 respiration we obtain recovery from the otherwise fatal 

 arrest. 



This suggests very strongly that the police and persons 

 who are trained in giving the first aid to the wounded 

 should be taught that with a gunshot wound of the cerebral 

 hemispheres, the proper thing to do is to employ arti- 

 ficial respiration rather than the giving of stimulants, &c. 

 But. as you may well expect, the matter does not stop 

 here, nor is it so very simple, because we find that there 

 are certain conditions under which the secondary rise of 

 blood pressure does not occur. 



It is now quite evident that the fatal phenomena of the 

 gunshot wound of the cerebral hemisphere is in the first 

 instance cessation of the breathing, and 1 have now to 

 indicate in detail how this is produced by the hydro- 

 dynamic disturbance evoked within the skull cavity by 

 the energy of the bullet. It is perhaps necessary to first 

 remind you that the upper part of the spinal cord or 

 medulla oblongata contains the chief centre for the move- 

 ments of respiration. I would also draw your attention 

 to the fact that therein is also the centre of origin of the 

 vagus nerve, which nerve has the power of slowing the 

 heart. Thus there are two important centres in the 

 medulla which are liable to be aft'ecied by changes of ten- 

 sion around them induced, as above stated, when the 

 bullet traverses the cerebral hemispheres in a transverse 

 direction. It may be that the centres are principally 

 affected by the mechanical pressure of the explosive 

 effect, but this latter of necessity produces a certain 

 amount of anaemia of the nerve centres ; some of the 

 effect may also be produced by that condition too. Sup- 

 posing that the artificial respiration has been properly 

 carried out, and the respiratory centre is revived into 

 activity, there is yet another condition to be overcome, 

 without which the animal or person dies, and for a long 

 recognised reason, namely, that the bullet having in its 

 passage cut through various blood- vessels, blood is poured 

 out within the skull, and consequently raises very severely 

 the intra-cranial tension. Th>s constitutes, as a matter 

 of fact, a second cause of death, for under these circum- 

 stances the accumulated blood causes such severe com- 

 pression, that it not only again paralyses the respiratory 

 centre but also irritates the vagus centre, causing a 

 marked slowing of the heart. The proof of the 

 truth of this statement is given at once the moment 

 we cut the vagi nerves, for if these are divided the 

 heart immediately resuines its former rhythm. The 

 next curves are to exhibit the increase in the intracranial 

 tension, which occurs the moment the bullet enters the 

 skull. The line drawn by the Marey's tambour shows a 

 violent increase of pressure at the moment of shot (first 

 or explosive effect) and a certain recoil therefrom, this 

 recoil bein^' directly changed for a steady increase in ten- 

 sion brought about by the secondary cause of death, 

 namely, the h;cmorrhage, of which I have already spoken. 

 To treat such h.imorrhagc only ordinary surgical measures 

 are requisite, but these will be impossible if the activity 

 of the respiratory centre has not previously been restored 

 in the manner already indicated. 



To sum up, the basis of scientific discussion of the 

 nature and causation of the phenomena evoked by bullet 



NO. 1283, VOL. 50] 



wounds of the cerebral hemispheres must rest on two 

 principal factors — the velocity of the projectile and the 

 development of hydrodynamic movement in the wet 

 living tissues. 



I am glad to have had the opportunity of laying before 

 you the facts on a subject which combines the pleasure 

 of pure physical research with the interest inseparable 

 from the resolution of pathological problems. 



GEORGE JOHN ROMANES. 



ANOTHER of our not too numerous band of English 

 biological investigators has been taken from us in 

 the prime of life. The list is a heart-rending one, and its 

 full share of sadness surrounds the fate of this last dear 

 friend and companion. Garrod, Frank Balfour, Moseley, 

 Herbert Carpenter, Milnes Marshall— all were younger at 

 death than Romanes, and he only reached the age of 

 forty-six just three days before he died. For some two 

 years his friends have watched with anguish the progress 

 of the disease — a condition of the arteries resulting in 

 apoplexy — which has now ended his pain. Marvellous was 

 the activity of mind and the eagerness with which he 

 pursued his favourite discussions even to the day of his 

 death. Nothing, perhaps, more touching was ever wit- 

 nessed by those who knew and loved his kindly earnest 

 nature than the calm conviction with which he realised 

 that the hand of Death was laid on him, the pathetic 

 smile with which he would say, as he puffed his cigarette, 

 " Of course my life is only hanging by a thread, and I 

 shall never be alile to finish the experiments which would, 

 I think, convince you.' 



George John Romanes was the son of the Rev. Prof. 

 Romanes, and was born in Kingston, Canada, on May 

 20, 1848. He studied at Caius College, Cambridge, 

 took honours in the Natural Sciences Tripos (1870), and 

 was Burney Prize essayist in 1873. Having private 

 means, he determined to devote himself to the study of 

 psychologv, which he proceeded to attack from two sides 

 — that of physiology, and that of the doctrine of evolu- 

 tion. He further equipped himself for his task by 

 mastering the teachings of modern writers on " philo- 

 sophy.'' To contribute to a knowledge of the evolution of 

 Mind was the ultimate aim of his numerous researches 

 and discussions. He was fortunate as a young man in 

 forming an intimate friendship with Mr. Uarwin ; and it 

 was his ambition not merely to carry the application of 

 Mr. Darwin's methods and principles into the groat field 

 of mental evolution, but also to strengthen and, where 

 possible, supplement the Darwinian theory itself Mr. 

 Darwin assisted Romanes in this enterprise by leaving to 

 him unpublished work of his own on " instinct " and 

 similar subjects. 



Romanes first became known to the larger public as a 

 gifted and capable exponent of scientific doctrine by the 

 I lecture on "Animal Intelligence ' which he gave in 

 Dublin during the meeting of the British Associa- 

 tion in that city in 1S78. He was subsequently 

 appointed Fullerian Prolessor in the Royal Insti- 

 tution, and gave numerous lectures both there and 

 at the London Institution. He contributed a series 

 [ of papers describing his researches on the nervous 

 ! system of the Medusx to the I'liilosopliical Transactions, 

 . and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society fifteen 

 years ago. His literary activity was very great, and re- 

 sulted in the publication of several large and well-known 

 books, as well as in numerous essays and short articles 

 of a controversial character published in the reviews and 

 in this journal. His chief books are " Animal Intelli- 

 gence," " Mental Evolution in Animals." " Mental 

 Evolution in Man," "jellyfish. Star-fish, and Sea- 

 urchins," " Darwin and after Darwin," and " An F.x.amin- 

 alion of Weism.innism." He had a keen love of public 



