An experimental inquiry into the pathology and treatment of asphyxia ... To which the Royal Humane Society awarded the Fothergillian Gold Medal / [John Eric Erichsen].

  • Erichsen, John Eric, 1818-1896.
Date:
1845
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An experimental inquiry into the pathology and treatment of asphyxia ... To which the Royal Humane Society awarded the Fothergillian Gold Medal / [John Eric Erichsen]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    14/64 (page 12)
    vessels. The rapidity of the circulation, and the propulsive force exercised by the heart during a given time, must therefore, c ceteris paribus, be proportionately lessened. It was thought that additional light might be thrown upon this part of our subject by observing the phenomena of asphyxia in those young animals which have the eyes closed for some time after birth, and in which the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus are still open ; it being evident that in these animals death could not occur from ob- struction of the pulmonary circulation, the two sides of the heart communicating in another and more direct way than through the pulmonary vessels. The very interesting experiments of Buffon, Legallois, and Edwards, on the period that young warm-blooded animals will live when deprived of air, are so well known as not to require more on our part than a passing reference.' Legallois found that the power that some young mammals possess of enduring a deprivation of air rapidly diminishes as the age of the animal increases; and Edwards pointed out the fact, that the duration of life, when animals are deprived of air, is chiefly influenced by two circumstances, namely, their power of gene¬ rating animal heat, and the external temperature to which they are exposed. In young puppies, shortly after birth, the quantity of blood that passes through the lungs, and that consequently becomes arteri- alized, whilst the foramen ovale and ductus arteriosus remain open, is but very small. This no doubt increases day by day until these passages are closed up, the vital condition of the animal becoming such as gradually to necessitate the arterialization of a larger quantity of blood. But limited though the quantity of arterialized blood, during the earlier period of existence, may be, yet the complete deprivation of that fluid is incompatible with life, the animal being as certainly, though not as quickly, destroyed on the exclusion of atmo¬ spheric air as an older one is. Exp. 4. A puppy, four days old, was strangled. Struggles ceased in nine minutes. The thorax wras then laid open, and the heart exposed: the blood that flowed from the cut mammary and intercostal arteries wras perfectly black. At the expiration of an hour and twenty minutes the ventricles had ceased to act: the auricles continued to contract for nearly three hours and a half. On examination about twro hours after the action of the heart had ceased, it was found that the right cavities and pulmonary artery were full of black blood, but by no means distended,—certainly not containing so much as in older animals that have been asphyxiated. 1 he left cavities also contained a considerable quantity of black blood, but not quite so much as the right side did ; there was likewise some in the aorta, file ductus arteriosus and foramen ovale were quite pervious. I he lungs were apparently but slightly congested. l^.rp. o. Another puppy of the same age was strangled; the spasmodic movements continued for sixteen minutes; the chest was