Concussion

of the brain, which may be considered as the slightest degree of injury, occasions a state of mind resembling intoxication; and the resemblance in some instances is so complete, that the most accurate observer cannot form a diagnosis, except from the history of the case. Pre ure on the brain, which is a more severe in« jury than concu ion, produces lo of motion, insensibility, dilatation of the pupils; respiration becomes laboured and stertorous, is performed at long intervals, and at last altogether ceases, and the patient dies. It forms an interesting matter of enquiry, whether spirits when taken into the stomach produce their effects on the brain by being absorbed into the circulation, or in consequence of the sympathy that exists between these organs by means of the nerves. The following circumstances lead me to conclude that they act in the last of these two ways. I, In experiments where animals have been kill ed by the injection of spirits into. the stomach, f have found this organ to bear the marks of great. inflammation, but never found any preternatural appearances whatever i in the brain. 2, The effects. of spirits taken into the stomach in the last experiment were so instantaneous, that it appears impo ible that absorption should have taken place. before they were produced. 3. A person who is intoxicated, frequently becomes suddenly sober after vomiting. 4. In the experiments which I have just related, I mixed tincture of rhubarb with the spirits, knowing from the experiments of Mr. Home, and Mr, William Brande, that this, when absorbed into the circulation, was readily sep a-_ rated from the blood by the kidneys, and that very small quantities might be detected in the urine by the addition of potash; but, though I never failed to find urine in the bladder, I never detected rhubarb in it, The including the termination of the thoracic duct ina ligature does not. prevent spirits, when taken into the stomach, from producing their usual effects on the nervous system’; but subsequent observations, which Mr. Home has already communicated to this society, have shown that no conclusion can bé drawn from this experiment. That a poison may afiect a distant organ, through the medium of the nerves, without entering the circulation, is proved by the well-known circumstance of solution of the extract of belladonna, when applied to the tunica conjunctiva of | the eye, oceasioning dilatation of the pupil of the | same eye, though no other part of the system i¢_ affected. It has been formerly supposed by Dr. Mead and other physiologists, that a poison thay produce death by acting on the extremities of the nerves of the stomach ‘and in test i nes, without being ab-. sorbed into the circulation. That it should by. these means be capable of affecting the brain is not. te be wondered at, when we consider the numerous and various sympathies between this organ. and the alimentary canal, evidently independent | of any other communication than the nerves. E ential oil of bitter almonds. Esp. 5.—Qne drop of the e ential oil of bitter almonds was applied to the tongue of a young cat. She was instantly ceased with violent convulsions, then lay on side motionle , insensible; breathing in a hurried manner; the respirations became laboured, took place at longer and longer intervals, and at the end of five minutes, from the application of the poison, had entirely ceased, and the animal was apparently dead; but on open- Ing the thorax, the heart was found acting regularly eighty times in a minute, ‘circulating dark coloured blood, and it continued to act for six or Seven minutes afterwards. Exp. 6.—I injected into the rectum of a cat half an ounce of water, with two drops of the e en= tial oil. In two minutes afterwards, he was affected with symptoms similar to those which occurred in the last experiment, and at the end of five minutes, from the injection of the poison, he was apparently dead. Two minutes after apparent death, the heart was found acting eighty times in a minute. On di ection, no preternatural appearances were found either in the internal membrane of the rectum, or the brain.