312 REPORT— 1876. 



Second Series. 



14. — Cat under chloroform. Abdomen opened, and intestines exposed for 

 o or 6 minutes to the air. No movement. The interrupted current from 

 DuBois Reymond's induction-coil was used in this and the succeeding ex- 

 periments. Electrodes placed under left splanchnic. Secondary coil at 25, 

 no effect ; at 15, doubtful ; at 10, rapid anaemia of stomach and small intes- 

 tines and of a large mesenteric gland. No movement. Coil at 7 : con- 

 tinued anJBmia, which now extended to the kidneys ; no movement ; after 

 removal of the irritation, the ansemia continued and even increased for a 

 short time in the intestines, the kidneys recovering their normal vascularity 

 more quickly. 



After the intestines had regained their normal vascularity, the coil was put 

 at 5, and the left splanchnic again irritated for 5 minutes. The effect was 

 the same, but much less decided than before. After the current was stopped, 

 the intestines became rapidly hypersemic. The irritation once more applied, 

 with the coil at 0, ansemia only ensued after 30 seconds. No movement 

 of the intestines. Ten minutes later the current was applied to the 

 right splanchnic with the secondary coil at 25 : no effect. Coil moved to 

 15 : anaemia of .stomach and intestines ; slight movement, which liad begun 

 before the first irritation, now ceased. Current stopped : normal vascularity 

 recovered; peristalsis began again, and became rather active; ecchymosis 

 apparent under the tunic of the right kidney. 



Intestines at rest : vascularity normal. Right splanchnic irritated with coil 

 at 10 : after two minutes, anaemia of stomach and some coils of intestine. 

 Moved to 5, the large arteries became evidently smaller, though the vascularity 

 of the viscera was still only partially affected. After two minutes more no 

 movement. 



The solar jjlexus, including the semilunar ganglia, was now excised, and 

 the superior mesenteric artertj isolated. The intestines were somewhat hyper- 

 semic, the kidneys normal, peristalsis rather active. An upper and lower 

 loop of 8 in. each ligatured as before. Coil at 15 : electrodes applied to both 

 splanchnics so as to irritate them at the same time : no antemia ; movement 

 slightly increased. Coil at 10 : no anaemia ; movement considerably increased. 

 Coil at 5 : active peristalsis of stomach and intestines, doubtful decrease of 

 vascularity. 



The left splanchnic was next divided, and the electrodes applied to its 

 pro.vimal end, with the coil at 2.5. The movomeuts which were going on 

 before continued active, while the coil was moved to 15, 1(1, and 5. Slight 

 anaemia appeared with the coil at 15, and did not increase. After the 

 current was stojjped, the intestines continued their movements, and quickly 

 recovered a normal or perhaps slightly excessive vascularity. Frcsli irrita- 

 tion a few minutes later (of the proximal end of the left splanchnic) produced 

 no change in vascularity or in movement of the intestine. 



The cat died several hours later without having vomited. The greater 

 part of the small intestine contained only a moderate quantity of fluid, but 

 the lower loop was filled with serum and thick white mucus. No worms. 

 On dissection the right semilunar ganglion and solar plexus adjacent were 

 found to be imjierfectly removed : otherwise the operation had succeeded. 



15.- — Cat under chloroform. Abdomen opened and electrodes put on the 

 left splanchnic, -w'lih coW fit 25: no peristalsis, moderate injection. Current 

 on: at first apparent slight increase of vascularity, but when the coil was 

 moved to 15, pallor, with contiaction of the branches of the superior mesen- 



