Physiological Researches on Life and DeathBichat, Xavier
Science
Physiological Researches on Life and Death
Bichat, Xavier
Death (Biology); Life (Biology)
2dly, It has been for a long time known, that no spasm of the
muscular fibres of the stomach, bladder, or intestines, can be
produced by irritating the nerves of the ganglions which go to
these organs.
3dly, The division of the nerves of the ganglions, will not
immediately paralyze the hollow organs. Their vermicular motions
continue for a long time after the experiment.
4thly, With respect to the stomach, intestines, bladder and uterus,
I have repeated the galvanic experiments which, with respect to
the heart, have already been mentioned at length; but never could
obtain contractions.[121]
5thly, The same experiments being made upon the organic muscles,
and the great sympathetic nerve of a dog, there was no contraction.
6thly, The issue of the latter operation may be easily conceived,
according to our manner of regarding things. In fact, the
ganglions, which are situated between the gastric organs and the
nervous trunk of the chest, might possibly have interrupted the
series of the galvanic phenomena. With a view, then, to remove
all doubt of this kind, I exposed the nerves, which go from the
ganglions immediately to the stomach, bladder and rectum, and in
this way galvanised the organs but no contraction appeared to me to
be the result of the experiment; at least no contraction, which I
could suppose to be the effect of galvanism, for here I cannot too
much recommend a proper distinction to be made between that which
should be the effect of this fluid, and that which results from the
mechanical contact of the metals.
7thly, These experiments are not easily made upon the intestines,
on account of the tenuity of their nerves; but as these nerves
compose a very perceptible plexus about the mesenteric artery, the
intestine may be galvanized by surrounding the artery with one of
the metals, while the other is placed under the intestinal tube.
This experiment I have made, but could not obtain any sensible
result.
8thly, The preceding essays were made upon warm and red-blooded
animals. Similar attempts were repeated on cold and red-blooded
animals, but with no effect.
9thly, The nerves which immediately supply the gastric organs of
the frog, are so delicate as to make it an extremely difficult
matter to get them into proper contact with the zinc: a small
contraction of the stomach was, however, obtained by Jadelot on
operating directly on these nerves; but this contraction was
similar, no doubt, to those which I have so frequently observed
in other experiments, and not to be compared to the astonishing
effects which are observable in the voluntary muscles. I shall
conclude, therefore, that with respect to the galvanic phenomena,
there exists a wide difference between the muscles of the animal
life and those of the organic life.
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