298 Dr. Philip's observations on the effects of 
length evidently the cause of death. On inspecting the lungs 
after death, the air tubes and cells, as far as they can still be 
traced, are found filled with a viscid fluid ; and in a consider¬ 
able proportion of the lungs, generally more or less according 
to the time the animal has survived the operation, every trace 
of both tubes and cells is obliterated, the lungs both in colour 
and consistence assuming much of the appearance of the 
liver. The portions of lungs thus changed sink in water ; 
and although examined with the greatest care, and the aid of 
a powerful magnifying glass, both by Mr. Cutler, who was 
so kind as to give me his assistance, and myself, we could 
not perceive in them the least remains of the structure pecu¬ 
liar to this viscus. 
I wished however to ascertain, by means less fallacious 
than the sight, whether the structure of the lungs in the parts 
most effected, be really so changed as to cause the oblitera¬ 
tion of their cavities. Mr. Cutler, at my request, was so 
obliging as to make the following experiments, the account 
of which I shall give in his own words. 
“ If you cut out a portion of each of the eighth pair of 
“ nerves in the neck of a rabbit, it seldom dies within eight 
“ hours, and rarely survives more than twenty-four hours. 
“ On examination after death, the lungs are found, in 
“ many parts, covered with dark red patches. 
“ To ascertain the mischief done to the substance of the 
“ lungs, I endeavoured to fill them with mercury by the 
“ trachea, but from the delicate structure of the air cells a 
“ rupture took place, and the mercury escaped. 
“ I then endeavoured to inject the air cells through the 
“ trachea with the finest vermilion injection. In the healthy 
