Considerations on the medicinal use and on the production of factitious airs / by Thomas Beddoes, M.D. : part II ; by James Watt, engineer .... ; to which are added communications from Doctors Carmichael, Darwin, Ewart, ... and others.

Beddoes, Thomas, 1760-1808.

Date:: 1795

Credit: Considerations on the medicinal use and on the production of factitious airs / by Thomas Beddoes, M.D. : part II ; by James Watt, engineer .... ; to which are added communications from Doctors Carmichael, Darwin, Ewart, ... and others. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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$flay ; on the i6th convulfions came on and frequently returned; on the 20th tlie dog died, much debilitated. In three other experiments nearly the fame phaeno- mena were obferved.—III. q ])ints of oxygene air Avefe infufed in the fame manner into another dog; flight uneafiriefs was obferved for the firfl hour, and afterwards the animal appeared exceedingly lively (maxima alacritas). Next day the emphyfema began to leffen ; by the loth all the air was abforbed. In another dog of iqlb. pints of this air difappeared in 8 days ; in a third of 2 ilb. 3 pints in 8 days ; in a 4th of 2-olb. 3 pints nearly in 7 days. The 2d and 3d were affefted as the firfl dog; the 4th was in no way affe&ed, —IV. Carbonic acid air was infufed into feveral dogs and rabbits, A large quantity (as much as 2 pints in a dog of lylb.) difappeared during the opera- tion; the reft was gradually abforbed in 4—14 days. No inconvenience followed, except in one cafe where a pint of air infufed into a rabbit 3 months old, occa- fioned urieafinefs from diftention ; but even here the animal eat with agqod appetite in half an hour. The inftantaneous difap'pearance of fo much air in thefe experiments, was probably owing to its combination with the moifture in the cellular fubftance.—Inflam- jnaBle air (from metallic fofutions, I fuppofe) occa- fioned heaviriefs and- fhivering in two dogs; 3 pints in one, in the other. ' Some detumcfcence was ob- ferved on the 4th day in both ; in 13 days the air \ras all gone in the ift, and in the 2d in 9 days.—VI. 2^ pints of nitrous air were infufed into a dog of aSlb. It hoyvled as ifin exquifite pain ; in minutes it flag-, gered as if drunk ; then convulfions came on, and vo- miting with involuntary excretions. In 30 minutes it lay-Enfeebled on the ground, making deep and labo- rious$