VOL. XX.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 271 



close to the stopple. A few violent struggles succeeded, in which the sternum 

 was raised, as in the deepest inspiration ; and thus he died. From the stoppage 

 of his breath to the last motion in any part of his body, was the space of 1 

 minutes. I then immediately threw open the thorax ; where I saw the blood 

 stagnating in the lungs, the arteria pulinonaris, the right ventricle of the heart, 

 with its appending auricle, and the 2 great trunks of the cava, distended with 

 blood, to an excessive degree ; the vena pulmonaris, left auricle and ventricle of 

 the heart, in a manner empty, not containing more than one spoonful of blood. 

 This experiment proves, that the respiration promotes the passage of the 

 blood through the lungs, and that in bodies full of vigorous blood, it is on this 

 account of perpetual necessity. This acceleration of the blood in that passage 

 seems to be the principal use of respiration; no other is of such consequence to 

 life, or stands in competition with it.* 



Experiment of syringing warm JVater into the Thorax of a Bitch. By Dr. 

 ff'illiam Musgrave, Fell, of the Coll. of Phys. and R. S. N° 240, p. 181. 



On June 21, l6S3, I syringed fiv of warm water into the right side of a 

 greyhound bitch, which caused a great rigor, especially in the hinder parts, a 

 shortness of breath, a heat or burning in the flesh ; she looked heavy, was un- 

 willing to rise or stand long on her feet ; those symptoms wore off by degrees, 

 so that in a week's time she appeared as well as ever. 



July 2, following, that is 1 1 days after the former experiment, I injected 

 5xvj of warm water into the left side of the thorax of the same greyhound; 

 after which she was extremely hot and short breathed : I felt a violent throbbing 

 in her heart, but the rigor was not so great as in the first experiment ; she re- 

 covered this also in the space of a week. 



About the 15th ditto, I injected ifcjss of warm water into one side of the 

 thorax, and ifcss into the other side of the same bitch ; the symptoms attend- 



* It is certain that the free transmission of the blood through the lungs depends upon their due 

 dilatation by the inspired air, and subsequent contraction, constituting the mechanical part of the 

 function of respiration. But the mere progression of the blood by the alternate expansion and con. 

 traction of the pulmonary organs is not " the principal use of respiration," is not " of such conse- 

 quence to life," that no other " stands in competition with it," for if so, animals would live in at- 

 mospheres of azotic gas, carbonic acid gas, (fixed air,) and hydrogen gas, by the inhalation of which 

 the lungs may be distended as effeclually as by common air, and consequently the movement or trans- 

 mission of the blood continued. But man and oiher animals die when confined in such gases ; a 

 proof that there is some other purpose answered besides this mechanical one, by respiration. Now 

 this other purpose is a c/ii'wica/ o((e, viz. a portion of the common atmospheric air is absorbed and 

 combined with the blood, imparting to it its florid colour, besides other chemical changes, and fur. 

 nishing at the same time a supply of animal heat. 



