140 



DR RUTHERFORD ON THE INFLUENCE OF THE VAGUS 



Result. — Division of vagi, followed by decided rise in pressure and slight 

 acceleration of pulse. 



EXPERIMENT XLIV. — Strong Rabbit fed at 1.5 p.m. Canula in Carotid. 



Trachea open. 



Time. 



Pulse in 10". 



Mean Pressure in inches 

 ofHg. 



General Notes. 



2-56' 



34 



32 





57' 5" 



34 



31 





58' 







10 milligrammes atropia sulphate 

 given. 



59' 30" 



58 



34 





3- 2' 



56 



34 





4' 5" 



54 



3 3 





5' 10" 







Both vagi divided. 



6' 20'/ 



52 



45 





7' 40" 



50 



4-4 





10' 



45 



46 





12' 



44 



4-5 





13' 10" 







Both depressors divided. 



50" 



45 



4-9 





15' 



44 



4-8 





19' 45" 



42 



4' 8 





Result. — Division of vagi, followed by increase of pressure and retardation of 

 pulse. Division of nervi-depressores, followed by increased pressure, but by 

 no change in pulse. 



The rise in the pressure observed in this group of experiments was certainly 

 not due to any voluntary muscular movements on the part of the animal. In 

 all cases, none of the recorded observations were made during struggling or 

 other violent movements, unless it is so stated in the General Notes. In order, 

 however, to satisfy all that this increase of blood-pressure is really due to a 

 change in the state of the vascular system not dependent upon extraneous 

 muscles, I performed the following experiment, in which, in addition to the 

 atropine, I gave curara, in order to paralyse all voluntary movement. 



