ment the extent of the nervous system was
lessened. The animal descended lower in the
scale of beings and became capable of bearing
further mutilations.
The extent of the circulation was not lessened,
according to the idea of Legallois; for it was
watched all along in the web. There was neither
more nor less of crushing than in experiments
in which the capillary circulation in the web
speedily failed. The medulla oblongata was removed,
without producing the effects observed by
M. Flourens.
It is plain that some new principle must be
discovered, to explain a fact so extraordinary, so
well attested by Legallois’ experiments and my
own. I have proposed a principle which appears
most probable to me, and which accords with what
we see in an earlier stage and in a lower order of
animal existence.
Even in these experiments, the most remarkable
of all that have been performed relative to this
subject, from the moment the whole of the brain
and medullse was destroyed, the circulation gradually,
progressively, but slowly failed. It cannot,
therefore, by any means, be said that the circulation
is independent of the brain and spinal
marrow.
II. Of t h e E x p e r im e n t o f S t im u l a t in g
t h e B r a in a n d S p in a l M a r r o w .
I have been greatly disappointed in repeating the
experiment of applying stimulants to the brain and
spinal marrow, in the batrachia.
Dr. Philip’s account of this experiment is given
in the following terms :—
<c Dr. Hastings had found, that immersing the
hind legs of a frog in tincture of opium, in less
than a minute deprives it of sensibility. This does
not arise from any action of the opium ; a watery
solution of opium, we found, however strong,
does not produce the effect. It is produced by
simple spirit of wine. It is remarkable, that if
simple spirit of wine is used, the animal expresses
pain; if tincture of opium, little or none. The
author has just mentioned the reason why it is
necessary, in order to judge of the result of this
experiment, that the animal should be rendered
insensible. A frog, being thus deprived of sensibility,
the brain and spinal marrow were laid bare,