1876.] Cause of the slow Pulse in Jaundice. 447 



pulsation is recorded by a manometer*. I made five of these experi- 

 ments, but could detect no change in the alternate standstill and tetanus, 

 described by Luciani, after the introduction of bile-acids in 1 per cent, 

 into the serum, nor after the removal of the bile-acid serum and the 

 feeding of the heart with pure serum. Both before and after the use of 

 the bile-acids the contractions of the ventricle were the same. It would 

 seem, therefore, that the bile-acids have no influence, either chemical or 

 physiological, upon the ventricle of the frog's heart separated from the 

 auricles. 



If, then, the bile-acids have no influence upon the ends of the vagus in 

 the heart, nor upon the muscular tissue, there remains, in the present 

 state of knowledge, only one other cause of the heart's movement which 

 may beget a slow pulse, viz. the ganglia of the heart. Arguing, there- 

 fore, joer viam exclusionis, the same conclusion is reached as that of 

 Eohrig, viz. that it is the action of the bile-acids upon the ganglia of the 

 heart which causes the slow pulse in jaundice. The same conclusion is 

 come to, but upon altogether different grounds ; for it must be acknow- 

 ledged that the grounds upon which Eohrig formed his opinion seem, in 

 the present state of physiology, to be insufficient. 



I have also made some experiments upon the influence which the bile- 

 acids have upon the rate of pulsation of the lymphatic hearts of frogs. 

 The rate does not seem to be in any way influenced by the bile-acids. 

 The heart only begins to beat more slowly where general death is setting 

 in from the action of the poison. The blood-heart, on the contrary, begins 

 to feel the influence of the poison within a few minutes of its injection, 

 and the pulsations may sink from 13 to 3 in 15 s in seven minutes after the 

 injection of 1 cubic centimetre of the bile-acid solution under the skin. 



I have made six observations upon the lymph-hearts, of which I add 

 the details of one. 



Bee. 24th. — Eight posterior lymphatic heart exposed at 10.55 a.m. 

 The pulsations vary from 7 to 9 in 15 s . At 11.5 the average is 9 in 15 s . 

 At 11.7 one cubic centimetre of bile-acid solution was injected under the 

 skin of the neck. 



11.12 a.m. 10 in 15 s . 



At 12.20 p.m. another injection. 



11.15 „ 9 „ 



12.25 „ 11 in 15 s . 



11.20 „ 9 „ 



12.31 „ 10 in 16 s . 



11.24 „ struggles. 



12.35. Lymph-hearts now ceased 



11.28 „ 9. 



to act. 



12 noon 10 in 15 s . 



2.0 p.m. Animal found dead. 



I have likewise made some observations upon the changes in the reflex 



* The double cannula is called by the Germans FroschherzventriJcelbestimmungs- 

 apparat, and may be had of Hornn, the instrument-maker in Leipzig. The one sent 

 by him to me was, however, too large for the hearts of English frogs, and a smaller 

 one on the same plan was made for me by Hawksley, of Oxford Street. 



