Researches Chemical and Philosophical; Chiefly concerning nitrous oxide: or dephlogisticated nitrous air and its respirationDavy, Humphry, Sir
Science
Researches Chemical and Philosophical; Chiefly concerning nitrous oxide: or dephlogisticated nitrous air and its respiration
Davy, Humphry, Sir
Nitrous oxide
They were both opened as speedily as possible. The lungs of B were
pale, and uniform in their appearance; this organ in A was redder, and
every where marked with purple spots. The liver of A was of a dark and
bright red, that of B of a pale red brown. The diaphragm of B, when
cut, was strongly irritable; that of A rather darker, and scarce at all
contractile. All the cavities of the heart contracted for more than 50
minutes in B. The auricles contracted for near 25 minutes with force
and velocity in A: but the ventricles were almost inactive. The vena
cava, and the right auricle, in A, were filled with blood, apparently a
shade darker than in B. The blood in the left auricle, and the aorta,
appeared in A of a purple, a shade brighter than that of the venous
blood. In the left auricle of B it was red.
I opened the head of each, but not without injuring the brains, so
that I was unable to make any accurate comparison. The color of the
brain in A appeared rather darker than in B.
_b._ Two rabbits, C and D, were destroyed, C by immersion in nitrous
oxide, D in hydrogene: they were both dissected by Dr. Kinglake.
The blood in the pulmonary vein and the left auricle of C was of a
different tinge, from that in D more inclined to purple red. The
membrane of the lungs in C was covered with purple spots, that of D was
pale and uniform in its appearance. The brain in C was rather darker
than in D; but there was no perceptible effusion of blood into the
ventricles either in D or C. The liver in C was of a brighter red than
in health, that in D rather paler.
_c._ In the last experiment, the comparative irritability of the
ventricles and auricles of the heart and the muscular fibre in the two
animals, had not been examined. That these circumstances might be
noticed, two rabbits, E and F were killed; E under water in about a
minute, and F in nitrous oxide in three minutes. They were immediately
opened, and after a minute, the appearance of the heart, and organs of
respiration observed.
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