762 



ER FRASER ON THE PHYSIOLOGICAL ACTION 









Experiment LX 



— continued. 







Time 



Arterial Tension. 



Venous 



No. of tj„ „ f 







Time. 



after 

 Adminis- 

 tration. 



Mean 

 Pres- 

 sure. 



Pressure 

 Oscillates 

 between 



Ten- 

 sion. 



Cardiac 

 Contrac- 

 tions. 



Respira- 

 tions. 



Tem- 

 perature. 



Notes of Operations and of 

 Symptoms. 



H. M. S. 



M. s. 









Per Min. 



Per Min. 



o 





3 22 



11 20 



19 



1-5 & 23 



2-7 



8 





100-1 





3 22 30 



11 50 







24 



6 







No respiratory movements, 

 except an occasional jerk- 

 ing inspiration. 



3 23 



12 20 



2-0 



2 21 



2-3 











3 23 30 



12 50 



1-8 



1-5 1-7 



2-1 











3 24 



13 20 



1-5 



1-5 1-6 



20 



... 









3 24 15 



13 35 







19 











3 24 30 



13 50 



1-5 



0-6 1-0 



1-0 











3 24 45 



14 5 

























The three indicating columns 

 of mercury have subsided 

 into their reservoirs. 



3 25 



14 20 













100-0 





3 26 



15 20 













99 





3 27 



16 20 













99-3 





The abdomen and chest were immediately opened : the heart was dilated, full and motion- 

 less ; and no peristalsis could be observed in the intestines. The diastaltic function of the cord 

 was completely abolished, while motor nerve-conductivity was retained, for at least five 

 minutes after death, in the sciatic, phrenic and intercostal nerves. 



The principal results of these experiments are indicated so clearly that it is 

 almost superfluous to point them out. During the first stage, the arterial tension 

 diminishes slightly, the venous tension increases and the cardiac contractions 

 rapidly diminish. The frequency of the respirations was increased in only the 

 first experiment. After this, the arterial tension increases, soon arrives at a 

 maximum considerably above its average before the poisoning, and then slowly 

 diminishes ; while the venous tension arrives at a high maximum rather later, 

 and by more gradual stages, than the arterial, and in the same gradual manner 

 declines until death. In neither system is the highest point reached before a 

 very considerable fall has been caused in the frequency of the heart's contrac- 

 tions. The temperature rises during the poisoning, and attains its maximum near 

 the time that the blood-pressures have commenced finally to diminish. 



As these marked changes in the circulation could be produced before the 

 respiratory function was modified to any important extent, it did not seem to 

 me at all necessary to repeat the experiments with the addition of artificial 

 respiration. 



It is interesting to observe the same phenomena produced by physostigma 

 after the division of the vagi nerves. 



