on the Action of Poisons on the Animal System. 223 
ingly as it exists in a greater or less degree. When taken in 
a larger quantity still, it occasions death in a very short space 
of time. I had found, that if applied to a wounded surface, it 
produced a slough of the part, to which it was applied, without 
occasioning any affection of the general system. This led me 
to conclude that the effects of it, taken internally and in a large 
quantity, depended on its local action on the stomach, and were 
not connected with the absorption of it into the circulation. 
The following experiments appear to confirm this opinion. 
Experiment 8. Six grains of corrosive sublimate, dissolved 
in six drams of distilled water, were injected into the stomach 
of a rabbit, by means of an elastic gum tube. No immediate 
symptoms followed the injection ; the animal made no ex- 
pression of pain ; but in three minutes he became insensible ; 
was convulsed ; and in four minutes and an half, from the 
time of the injection being made, he died. Tremulous con- 
tractions of the voluntary muscles continued for some time 
afterwards. On opening the thorax, the heart was found to 
have entirely ceased acting, and the blood in the cavities of 
the left side was of a scarlet colour. The stomach was much 
distended. The pyloric and cardiac portions were separated 
from each other by a strong muscular contraction. The con- 
tents of the former were firm and solid, and in every respect 
resembled the usual contents of the stomach ; while those of 
the cardiac portion consisted of the food of the animal much 
diluted by fluid ; so that the solution, which had been injected, 
appeared to be confined to the cardiac portion of the stomach, 
and to be prevented entering the pyloric portion by the mus- 
cular contraction in the centre. 
In the pyloric portion of the stomach the mucous membrane 
