REMARKS ON THE EFFECTS OF iETHER. 
199 
from the violent plunging, and in falling down. These were of 
some use. As soon as down a few symptoms of violence were 
evinced. The air-valve was opened for about a minute, then closed, 
and the vapour was again inhaled. The labour of breathing be- 
came terrific, and so continued for about one minute and a half. 
There did not seem to be any sensitive feeling, when a sudden 
drawing up of the hind legs shewed that something was going on 
wrong, but of what nature we could not tell. The apparatus was 
removed : a few loud breathings followed — all became suddenly 
still, and life was extinct, within six minutes of the commence- 
ment of the experiment. This was at 10 A.M. The quantity 
of aether consumed was six ounces. 
Three o'clock, P.M. — We attended the post-mortem examina- 
tion, in the full expectation of finding some organic change in such 
of the principal organs of life as would be likely to be affected by 
so powerful an agent, and which, the powers of life being weakened 
by previous organic disease, would yield under extraordinary in- 
fluences. Not so, however: every organ was remarkably healthy ; 
the bowels were enormously distended with flatus. On opening 
the abdomen, a strong smell of aether was emitted, but not any 
could be detected within the stomach or bowels. The diaphragm 
was ruptured to the extent of at least a foot and a-half. The peri- 
cardium was found distended with blood, which in quantity must 
have been at least eight pounds. The lungs were turgid with black 
blood, and smelled very powerfully of the aether. The heart being 
uncovered, we minutely examined into the situation of the evident 
lesion, and found that an angular rent, full an inch in length, had 
occurred just immediately beyond the origin of the aorta, from the 
left ventricle and above the semilunar valves, and within that por- 
tion which is included in the pericardium, otherwise there would 
have been blood effused into the chest, which there was not. The 
part exhibiting the lesion is in the possession of Mr. Alex. Hen- 
derson, jun. M.R.C.Y.S., of Park-lane, who will be happy to shew 
the same, should any one wish to examine it. 
Remarks . — By these experiments two points of great importance 
have been proved : by the first three — that, unless some ready 
means of regulating the quantity of vapour and the rapidity with 
which it is inhaled be devised, it is not sufficiently under controul 
to be generally practised. There is in the application of a regulating 
power one serious obstacle to be overcome, and that is, the violence 
of the animal, rendering approach dangerous. The last experiment, 
though fatal in its result, is of the utmost value : it proves that pure 
vapour of eether cannot be inhaled without imminent risk ; and 
though we have been informed, on good authority, that the ap- 
paratus was again tested on the same day, and produced its full 
effects in a minute and three quarters, yet it appears that it was not 
