AND ANIMAL LIFE. 229 



accounts for the oppression which the animal experienced 

 in the attempt to swallow what it had chewed. This or- 

 gan did not seem to have the power to propel the food 

 received, and consequently its great distention would 

 more or less compress the trachea, causing the symptoms 

 I have described on giving it food at half-past four. Great 

 inflammation and congestion were observed round the 

 wound, and the parietes of the thorax. 



In the following rabbit the par vagum was divided on 

 both sides. Temperature 104. The trachea was not di- 

 vided. 



At three o'clock the temperature was 100|. At half- 

 past four o'clock the rabbit received cabbage leaves, which 

 it voraciously seized ; but, after having taken a small quan- 

 tity, vomiting commenced, and continued, with slight in- 

 termissions, till a quarter to five, at which time the animal 

 died. The respiration had very much increased in diffi- 

 culty for two hours previous to its death. 



Dissection. The lungs did not collapse on dividing the 

 parietes of the chest, but they were crepitant in almost 

 every part : they were almost as large again as the healthy 

 lungs. The superior surface was highly red, presenting 

 many small black points and slight discolorations ; the 

 inferior was marked with black patches. The greater 

 part of two lobes, in this situation, was in appearance like 

 the liver. 



The condition of the heart was natural ; the veins of the 

 chest and abdomen were large, and much distended with 

 black blood ; the stomach much larger than usual ; the 

 principal part of the food appeared to have undergone no 

 change whatever ; the portion which was most acted upon 

 was still unaltered in its vegetable character, but was ra- 

 ther minutely divided. The contents of the large intes- 



