104 UEPORT — 18ri. 



that the failure of blood is first felt. The nervous centres, protected from the 

 etfects of sudden pressure by tlieir envelopment of bony structure, feel the 

 shock of the exhaustion secondarily. Thus the nauscle suiferiug a reduced 

 resistance of blood to the nervous stimulus, contracts as if it had received an 

 excess of stimulus, and the phenomenon of primary convulsion is developed ; 

 in haemorrhage this convulsion immediately precedes deliquium or syncope. 

 In brief time, the nervous centres themselves becoming exhausted, the con- 

 vulsions cease, and none but the muscular movements of the organic life, 

 respiration and circulation, remain. These while they last feed still in a 

 passive state the nervous centres and muscular centres ; and if the cause of 

 exhaustion at this stage be stopped and the body be resupplied with means 

 of life, recovery takes place without the necessary return of convulsive ac- 

 tion ; but if the exhaustion proceed, then follows the secondary phase, the 

 failure of the organic system, and with that a repetition of the phenomenon 

 of pi-imary failure, viz. a second general convulsion, terminating in death. 



The convulsion of haemorrhage is, I repeat, the typical form of the condi- 

 tions I have portrayed ; but in death from chloroform and similar narco- 

 tics, the phenomena are sometimes equally striking. The convulsion and 

 rigidity which mark the second degree of narcotism indicate the first 

 break of balance between the nervous and the muscular centres ; the 

 period of the third and fourth degrees of narcotism, during which there is 

 complete paralysis of voluntary and of conscious power, marks the interval 

 when all life is suspended on the organic or vegetative nervous system ; the 

 final convulsion that precedes death marks and proclaims the moment when 

 the organic force itself breaks down, leaving the whole organism motiouless 

 and, as wc say, dead. 



On Condensation of Wateb on the Bkonchlu, Subpace DtrEiNG Narcotism. 



It has occurred to mc often to observe that the physiological action of nar- 

 cotic vapours during inhalation is greatly modified by the condition of the 

 atmospheric air in respect to its dryness and its moisture. When the atmo- 

 sphere is extremely diy, the action of a narcotic vapour is greatly increased, 

 and recovery from its etfects is remarkably easy ; on the contrarj^ when the air 

 is saturated with water vapour the action is impeded; and if the air be at the 

 same time cold and moist, tlie process of narcotism is often greatly impeded, 

 while recovery after it has been established is prolonged in proportion. 

 But the fact I wish particularly to bring forward is, that when the body of 

 an animal becomes profoundly narcotized, and the insensibility is long main- 

 tained, during conditions in which the air is cold and moist, there occurs not 

 unfrequcntly an actual condensation of water in the minute bronchial pas- 

 sages, which condensation leads to as low asphyxia, and, if it be continued, to 

 actual death. This accident is best seen in cases of narcotic poisoning from 

 hydrate of chloral ; it may also be observed after poisoning from opium and 

 other narcotics, as well as after long exposure to extreme cold. 



There are two causes at work to produce the condensation : the one is the 

 obstacle to evaporation of watery matter from the surface of the animal 

 membrane into the air ; the other the deficiency of force, in an animal whose 

 general temperature is reduced, to raise the vapour of water from the blood, 

 and to expel it from the pulmonary organs in the state of vapom-. 



Whenever in any case condensation of water, from the causes named, is 

 set up, the danger continues in an increasing ratio ; for the condensation 

 tends to shut off the air from contact with the blood, the temperature of the 



