EXTRACTS FROM FOREIGN JOURNALS. 
271 
FROM FRENCH JOURNALS. 
SOME EXPERIMENTS UPON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF THE PNEUMO¬ 
THORAX BY PENETRATING WOUND OF THE CHEST. 
By MM. Rodele and Pourrat. 
In this interesting experimental work, the authors have 
considered, first, the condition of the air introduced in the 
pleural cavity, and then the disturbance brought on in the 
pneumothorax by the functions of respiration and circulation. 
All the experiments were made on dogs. 
First. After introducing into the pleura measured quanti¬ 
ties of sterilized air by an opening in the thoracic walls, suf¬ 
ficiently small to allow a free communication of the pneumo¬ 
thorax with the external atmosphere, they killed the animals 
after a variable number of days, and measured and analyzed 
the remaining air. Following are the results obtained from 
the contents of the book : 
The quantity of air thrown into the pleural cavity gradu¬ 
ally diminishes. The resorption, which was soon followed by 
its complete disappearance, was accompanied by evident 
changes in the composition of the gaseous mixture; the oxy¬ 
gen diminished, and the carbonic acid immediately took its 
place in increasing proportions, to be afterward resorbed in 
proportion to the other gases. 
Second. The disturbances of the respiratory and circula¬ 
tory functions varied, according as the pleura received the 
air gradually or suddenly by a free opening ; or again, if the 
pleural cavity was kept in free communication with the ex¬ 
ternal air. A gradual injection of air produced an accelera¬ 
tion of the respiration, with slight amplification of the respir¬ 
ation and an elevation of sanguine pressure. When the air 
was allowed to enter suddenly through a wide opening of the 
chest, the respiration was at first accelerated, with a gradual 
increase in amplitude; but this was only a transient effect, 
and soon ceased. The wound being kept open, the accelera¬ 
tion was soon followed by a diminution, and the amplitude 
became still greater. Soon after there were arrests in the 
inspiratory action, with a gradual diminution of the ampli- 
