SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY. 
665 
MEDICAL SCIENCE. 
Restoration of Life in Warm-blooded Animals.— A. most valuable essay from 
the pen of one of our ablest practical physiologists (Dr. B. W. Eichardson) 
has appeared on the above subject. The^vriter proceeds to describe the 
various recognized methods of restoring animation — artificial respiration, 
exciting the circulation, and lieat — and shows that even when the heart has 
ceased to supply blood to the pulmonic capillaries, during the period previous 
to coagulation the blood may be driven or drawn over the pulmonic circuit ; 
may be oxidized in its course ; may reach the left side of the heart, may be 
distributed over the arteries, and that thus distributed it possesses the power 
of restoring general muscular irritability and the external manifestations of 
life. In one of his experiments upon a dog, the writer, by introducing blood 
heated to 90° Fahr. into the coronary arteries (pumping it in by the 
rhythmic movement of a syringe piston), succeeded in making the heart (which 
till then was still, cold, and partly rigid) pulsate perfectly for at least twenty 
minutes. 
The Phenomena of eglutition. — M. Krishaber, who has been experiment- 
ing with the auto-laryngoscope, with a view to discover the method by which 
swallowing is effected, has arrived at several conclusions, the most important 
of which may be tabulated as follows : — 1. In the act of deglutition, the ali- 
mentary mass passes through one of the pharyngeal arches over one of the 
sides of the epiglottis ; by this means it reaches the oesophagus at the very 
moment when, by the contraction of the muscles, the pharynx is contracted. 
2. The deglutition of liquids is effected in a somewhat similar manner, these 
passing very often over the epiglottis, in which they differ from solids. 
3. A very small quantity of the liquid passes over the edge of the epi- 
glottis, and thus moistens the mucous membrane of the larynx and the cords 
of the voice. 4. In gargling the throat, the larynx being then much opened, 
a larger quantity of liquid escapes into the vocal organ. 5. One may easily 
bear a piece of food in the air-passages, that is to say, in the larynx near the 
vocal cords, and even in the interior of the windpipe. 6. The sensibility of 
the windpipe to the touch of foreign bodies is far less than that of the larynx. 
7. Hard and cold bodies, such as a “ sound,” are never tolerated by the 
respiratory passages, although soft bodies which adhere to the mucous mem- 
brane, and have the same temperature as it, may remain in the trachea for 
several minutes without producing any expulsive efforts. Dr. Krishaber con- 
cludes his report by mentioning that the experiments which he conducted 
require very little trouble, and are unattended with danger. 
A new poison of the “ Dog-bane ” order of plants has been examined and 
reported on by M. Pelikan, of St. Petersburg. The plant which produces it 
comes from the Gaboon, and is used by the natives of that locality to poison 
arrows with. It belongs to the natural order Apocynacece, and produces its 
injurious action almost exclusively upon the heart. M. Pelikan’s experiments 
were made upon the common frog, and they have led him to the following 
conclusions : — 1. The poison produces at first an increased action of the heart. 
2. After awhile the pulse decreases in frequency, and the heart soon entirely 
