104 Brodie on the influence of the Nerves 
naturally distended ; and it occurred to me, that although I 
could not ascertain the effect of the division of the nerves 
of the eighth pair on the natural secretions of the stomach, it 
might be possible to ascertain the effect on a secretion thus 
artificially produced. With this view I instituted the following 
experiments. 
Exp. 1. The nerves of the eighth pair with the accompany- 
ing sympathetic nerves, were divided in the neck of a dog, 
and immediately afterwards ten grains of arsenic were in- 
serted into a wound of the thigh. The breathing became 
laborious, as is usual where these nerves are divided, and 
afterwards the same symptoms took place, as commonly arise 
from the poison of arsenic, with this difference, that there was 
no discharge of fluid either from the stomach or intestines. 
He died at the end of three hours and a half. On dissection, 
the stomach and intestines were found to contain only food 
and fasces, there being none of the mucous and watery se- 
cretion usually met with in an animal which has been killed 
in the same manner. The mucous membrane of the stomach 
and intestines was highly inflamed. 
Exp. 2. The experiment was repeated on another dog. He 
died at the end of nine hours, and on dissection the stomach 
and intestines were not found to contain any mucous or 
watery fluid. Their raucous membrane was inflamed. 
Exp. 3. A dog, immediately after the division of the same 
nerves in the neck, was made to swallow two ounces of satu- 
rated solution of white oxide of arsenic in water. He died at 
the expiration of three hours : on dissection, the stomach and 
intestines were found slightly inflamed, and they contained no 
mucous or watery fluid. 
