166 
COM PTE RENDU. 
blood in circumscribed spots in the parenchyma of the organ, 
through the capillary net-work. 
The pleural membrane is usually of a violet hue, which arises 
as well from the injection of its own vessels with black blood as 
from the deep colour of the pulmonary tissue which it covers. 
Such are the lesions produced in the circulatory and respiratory 
systems by the action of emetic tartar, when, administered through 
the digestive passages, it passes from the canals and is absorbed 
into the bloodvessels; but it often happens that, when adminis- 
tered in a drench, and in an imperfect state of solution, instead of 
regularly following the course of the oesophagus, it penetrates 
through the larynx into the trachea, and filters through the bron- 
chia] tubes into the pulmonary substance. 
This accident, which very frequently happens where the mode 
of administration I have mentioned is resorted to, is not, however, 
more peculiar to emetic tartar than to any of the other styptic or 
astringent substances thus forcibly injected into the body in a 
liquid state. In passing by the narrow entrance of the pharynx 
they cause a violent astriction of the mucous membrane of that 
cavity, destroy for the moment its sensibility, and paralyse the 
subjacent muscular layer, the contraction of which is necessary in 
order to propel the solid and fluid matters introduced into the mouth 
towards the oesophageal opening. Thus modified, the pharynx be- 
comes but a species of inert funnel, into which the fluids fall, and 
then follow the course of the laws of gravity. The laryngeal 
mucous membrane, bathed with an astringent fluid, is, in a manner 
of speaking, tanned by its contact, loses the exquisite sensibility 
which ordinarily characterises it, and suffers the styptic solution, 
which the animal swallows and respires at the same time, to pass 
into the larynx without any resistance on the part of the muscles 
of that organ, or of those the functions of which are synergetic 
with it, without even appearing conscious of the wrong course 
which this matter takes ; — a phenomenon which singularly contrasts 
with things when in their natural state, where we see the slightest 
degree of irritation applied to the orifice of the larynx putting all 
the expiratory muscles into simultaneous action, and causing them 
to combine so energetically to expel from the air-passages all such 
matters as are foreign or injurious to them. 
Recueil de Med. Vet., May 1846. 
