418 
L. ROSSIGNOL. 
faction ; the change being very rapid and many of the lesions 
found must be attributed to it. 
The blood was black, partly coagulated, the clots being 
brown, soft and diffluent. The serum was colored by the haemo¬ 
globin. The various serosities were also colored red by it. 
The muscles were pale, discolored. In the abdomen only lesions 
of putrefaction were observed. 
The intestinal mucous membrane was greyish and without 
folds. All the organs presented lesions of putrefactive condi¬ 
tions. 
In the chest, the lungs,- the bronchial lymphatic glands, the 
myocardium and the endocardium present also indications of 
putrefying structures. 
The nervous system is softened. In other words, all the 
lesions found in the first post-mortems are no longer visible ; 
hence, the indications of making the post-mortems as early as 
possible. 
The other animal of that experiment which went to the 
ward of physiology at Alfort, recovered entirely, and was de¬ 
stroyed several weeks after for dissecting classes. 
* 
* * 
CONCLUSIONS. 
By these experiments, it is demonstrated that the lesions 
produced by electricity are very mild, almost insignificant. 
Death taking place by asphyxia, alterations of the blood and 
mild bloody effusions under the serous membranes and few in¬ 
testinal lesions are all which may be found. All the other 
organs, and especially the nervous system, remain sound. 
But this absence of lesions cannot embarrass the expert 
called to decide as to the cause of death. On the contrary, the 
absence of all specific lesions is a proof which will be corrobo¬ 
rated by the reports of those who may have witnessed the acci¬ 
dent of electrocution. 
They have also proved that to kill a horse with electric cur¬ 
rent, the sudden shock of even 650 volts is not sufficient; what 
is necessary is that the fall of the horse must take place over 
