WOUNDS PENETRATING INTO THE CHEST. 
583 
pledget being placed between the lips of the wound, to prevent 
the immediate healing of it), through the edges of the wound, 
taking all possible precaution during these manipulations to 
avoid the introduction of air into the pleural cavity. 
We have repeated this experiment three times, varying it with 
reference to the quantity of blood introduced into the pectoral 
cavity. It was impossible for us to measure exactly the quantity 
of blood, bat in the three experiments, conducted with the great- * 
est care, we calculated that there was un demi-litre , un litre, un 
litre et derni (a little more than one, two, or three pounds). 
Immediately after this experiment, which was always made on 
a horse previously cast, the movements of the flanks began to 
be quick and irregular \ the inspiration was prolonged, and the 
succeeding expiration w T as performed with a kind of jerk. The 
intensity of these symptoms was in proportion to the quantity 
of air introduced. The horse that was the subject of the last 
experiment, and into whose chest three pounds of blood were in¬ 
troduced, had a shivering fit, which lasted half an hour, but 
which did not prevent him from eating one or two pounds of 
hay which he found in his rack. The other horses retained their 
appetite from the time of the operation until they were de¬ 
stroyed. 
In the three experiments, on having recourse to auscultation, 
we heard a sound which we may denominate spumous, and which 
was referrible to the pleural cavities; but this sound soon disap¬ 
peared, and on the second day we heard no more of it. It was 
certainly to be attributed to a small quantity of air which found 
its way into the chest when the pleura was punctured. After¬ 
wards when, without doubt, the air w 7 as absorbed, w 7 e heard the 
respiratory murmur distinctly at the superior part of the chest, 
and less so at the inferior part. 
Each of these horses was suffered to live six days after the 
operation. During the whole of that time, the vesicular sound 
could not be heard distinctly at the inferior part of either of the 
sides of the chest, although the introduction of the blood took 
place on the left side alone. The irregularity of the beating of 
the flanks diminished in proportion to the time from the per¬ 
formance of the experiment; and towards the end of the sixth 
day the only perceptible symptom was, a forcible contraction of 
the respiratory muscles, both in inspiration and expiration, and 
which also took a longer time for the complete performance of 
them. 
At the opening of these horses, which was effected imme¬ 
diately after their death, we found the following appearances:— 
First horse :—A bloody serosity in the pleural cavities, and 
