238 THE LAWS OF ORGANIC 



They had fasted fifteen hours, when they were fed at 

 seven o'clock, A. M. The experiment commenced at eight 

 o'clock. The par vagum on each side was tied in the fol- 

 lowing rabbit. Temperature before experiment 103. The 

 animal cried immediately on the nerves being tied, and 

 respiration was difficult from the commencement. Vomit- 

 ing and great difficulty of breathing were very oppressive 

 directly after the operation, and the former continued so 

 for a quarter of an hour ; the latter increased in urgency 

 throughout the experiment. At eleven o'clock the tempe- 

 rature was 99| ; respiration very difficult. The animal 

 displayed an avidity for food, but had not the power of 

 eating. At one o'clock, respiration short and laborious. I 

 attempted to take the temperature, but, from the difficulty 

 of breathing, it was impossible, with safety to the life of 

 the animal. In half an hour after this time it died. Its 

 temperature was found to be 93|, taken when insensible, 

 but not dead. 



Dissection. The lungs did not collapse on opening the 

 thorax, were scarcely crepitant in any part, and were simi- 

 lar, in almost every respect, with the exception of here and 

 there a few light points, to a mass of coagulated venous 

 blood. The veins of the thorax arid abdomen were dis- 

 tended with black blood. The stomach, of a moderate 

 size, was filled with food, of which that part contained in 

 the large extremity appeared not in the least acted upon, 

 while that in the small was rather more digested. The 

 contents of the large intestines were natural. The thoracic 

 viscera weighed 4 drachms and a-hdlf. 



The par vagum on each side was tied in the following rab- 

 bit. Temperature 103. Difficulty of breathing commenced 

 immediately, but was not so urgent as in the preceding ani- 

 mal. At eleven o'clock respiration laborious ; temperature 



