94< Afr. Clift’s experiments to ascertain the influence of 
through, which increased the action of the heart for three or 
four beats, which were very violent, and at the rate of twenty 
in a minute ; the pulsations were then twelve as before. 
In fifty minutes, a red hot iron wire was passed from the 
tail to the occiput, and produced strong action in the tail ; but 
from this time, there was no action in the muscles of the body 
or tail. The pulsations of the heart became a little slower. In 
sixty minutes they were strong, and twelve in a minute. 
The brain was now broke down by a small flat pointed in- 
strument; the pulsations of the heart became twenty in a 
minute. The gills and mouth from this time ceased to act. 
The heart went on pulsating with the same frequency as be- 
fore, but weaker, for two hours, and then gradually ceased; the 
auricle contracting for more than a quarter of an hour after 
the action of the ventricle had ceased. 
Exp. 4. A weakly carp of nearly the same length with 
those employed for the other experiments, which was fifteen 
inches, had the spinal marrow exposed near the base of the 
tail, and a red-hot iron wire passed along the vertebral canal. 
All action of the body and gills immediately ceased. 
On removing a portion of the skull to expose the brain, the 
end of the wire was found in the skull, but the brain unin- 
jured. The brain was then entirely removed : no motion was 
produced in any part of the body or gills. 
The body was placed in a wet towel for three hours. The 
heart was then exposed, its action was strong and distinct in 
both the auricle and ventricle, at the rate of twenty beats in 
a minute, but after five pulsations, at the rate of twelve, at 
which it continued. 
At three hours and a half, the action of the heart was weaker 
