660 
ME.  J.  LISTEE  OJs  THE  EAELT  STAGES  OE  rNTLA^^IMATIOX. 
Thus  in  one  case  an  artery  under  observation  measuring  2°  (degrees  of  the  micro- 
meter), the  blood  was  flowing  in  all  the  capillaries  supplied  by  it,  though  containing  a 
very  abnormal  amount  of  corpuscles.  After  a few  minutes,  the  vessel  contracted  spon- 
taneously to  1^°,  and  though  this  was  only  about  a medium  width,  the  flow  of  the 
blood  became  much  retarded  in  the  capillaries,  and  in  one  of  them  ceased  almost 
entirely.  Water  of  115°Fahe.  being  then  thrown  upon  the  web,  the  calibre  of  the 
artery  was  raised  to  above  2°,  and  the  flow  was  resumed  in  all  the  capillaries.  A few 
minutes  later  the  vessel  again  contracted  spontaneously  to  1^°,  when  stagnation  of  the 
blood  became  nearly  complete  in  a few  of  the  capillaries.  Water  at  120°  was  then 
applied  and  caused  constriction  to  a further  degree,  followed  by  dilatation  to  above  2° : 
during  the  constriction,  the  blood  scarcely  moved  at  all  in  the  capillaries,  but  on  the 
occurrence  of  the  dilatation  it  again  flowed  in  all  of  them. 
If  the  applications  were  still  further  continued,  the  red  discs  became  more  and  more 
closely  packed,  till  at  last  they  were  crammed  together  so  as  to  produce  a uniform  crim- 
son mass,  unaffected  by  the  heart  even  in  the  widest  state  of  the  arteries. 
It  was  perfectly  clear  that  in  these  experiments  the  stagnation  of  the  blood  depended 
on  something  more  than  mere  contraction  of  the  arteries ; and  it  also  appeared  impos- 
sible to  account  for  it  satisfactorily  as  a result  of  their  dilatation.  That  inflammatory- 
stasis  might  occur  independently  of  alteration  in  the  calibre  of  the  vessels,  was  also 
shown  by  an  experiment  with  capsicum  made  at  this  period.  A morsel  of  this  substance 
having  beeir  placed  upon  the  middle  of  a web  in  which  the  cu’culation  was  going  on  in 
perfect  health  and  with  unusual  rapidity,  the  effect  was  great  accumulation  of  cor'puscles 
irr  two  or  three  capillaries  for  a very  short  distance  roimd  the  spot  where  the  capsicum 
lay,  unaccompairied  by  airy  change  in  the  vascular  dimensions. 
Chloroform  proved  to  be  an  agent  which  very  readily  induced  stagnation  when  locally 
applied ; and  when  it  was  administered  in  the  usual  way  by  inhalation  for  the  piupiose 
of  performing  experimeirts  with  warm  water,  it  was  found  necessary  to  protect  the  webs 
carefully  from  its  vapour,  which  otherwise  produced  the  same  appearances  of  congestion 
as  the  hot  application.  In  one  instance  in  which  a small  quairtity  of  the  liquid  had 
beerr  applied  to  the  web,  I saw  the  red  corpuscles  adhering  to  one  airother  by  their  flat 
surfaces,  in  a manner  not  seen  in  the  healthy  conditiorr,  and  exactly  as  described  by- 
Mr.  Whaeton  Jones  to  take  place  after  the  application  of  a strong  solution  of  salt;  but 
from  the  very  slight  tendency  of  chloroform  to  mix  with  water,  it  was  impossible  to 
believe  that  it  had  operated  by  way  of  exosmose,  as  was  supposed  by  the  authority  just 
named  to  be  the  case  with  the  saline  solution*. 
state  of  the  webs  is  indicated  to  the  naked  eye  by  conspicuousness  of  the  blood-vessels.  In  perfect  he;dth 
they  are  quite  invisible  without  the  microscope,  and  in  all  cases  the  appearance  of  any  vessel  as  a distinct 
red  streak  is  pretty  sure  indication  of  a certain  amount  of  irritation. 
* It  was  believed  that  the  solution  of  salt  abstracted  water  from  the  blood  as  it  flowed  through  the  capil- 
laries, and  that  the  liquor  sanguinis  being  consequently  inspissated,  the  red  corpuscles  assumed  an  abnormal 
tendency  to  aggregate  together  (see  Guy’s  Hospital  Eeports,  loc.  cit.  p.  40) . This  view  has  been  more  recently 
