of every part or organ, with every other part or
organ.
The whole system may be compared, in this
point of view, with rings entwined together. They
mutually support each other. Any one may he
removed, without destroying the form of the rest.
But their strength is immediately impaired. And
if one be violently crushed, the others will scarcely
escape from distortion. These rings may represent
the nervous, vascular, and organic circles in the
animal frame.
I confess then that I think no physiological
deduction can be drawn from the experiment
of crushing the brain and spinal marrow, in regard
to the functions of these organs.
That precisely similar effects do result from
crushing the stomach or a limb, in animals perfectly
insensible to the infliction of pain, is proved
by the following experiments.
A frog was made perfectly insensible by the
application of laudanum or alcohol. Its respiration
ceased. It did not move, on the application
of any irritant. The circulation in the web was
carefully observed. When it had long continued
in the same enfeebled state without change, the
thigh was crushed. The circulation in the minute
and capillary vessels ceased at once, and never returned.
The stomach was now crushed in the
same manner. The heart ceased to beat for many
seconds. Its beat then returned,—but never regained
its former force. The effect was precisely
such as was observed by Legallois, on crushing the
spinal marrow.1 There was not the slightest
indication of pain in either experiment.
The experiment was repeated. The result was
so perfectly similar, that a note was written, at
the time, stating that the experiment need not be
again repeated.
Nevertheless it was repeated several weeks afterwards
with precisely the same results. The action
of the spirit upon the cutaneous surface had arrested
the respiration, destroyed all sensation, and induced
considerable languor in the circulation in the web.
When this state had continued uniform during a
considerable time, the other limb was crushed by a
hammer. There was not the slightest motion of
the animal or expression of pain, so deep was the
insensibility. The circulation in the whole web
ceased instantly.
See pp. 110, 111.