II. PHYSIOLOGY.
12. Electro-Galvanic phenomena of Acupuncturation.—M. Pouillet, after making a complete circuit, through a needle introduced in acupuncture, through wires, and through the patient's mouth, found, by means of a multiplier of Schweigher with a magnetic needle, that the electro-magnetic rotation could be readily produced; at least so far as to effect small vibrations backwards and forwards. On repeating it with two needles, one of them run into an artery and another into a vein, or one into the medulla spinalis, at the neck, and another into an extremity, in a rabbit, no effect whatever took place.—Magendie's Journ. de Physiologie.
13. Variations in Milk.—Milk, says M. Vallot, in his memoir read to the Academy of Dijon, may be red. The cause of this is unknown, though it has given rise to superstitious fears. Some have observed that the cow's teats are then tender. Whether this be cause or effect has not been ascertained.
Yellow milk is said to have been produced by the cow's eating the caltha palustris, (marygold.) Blue milk, from a cause still unknown, in the departments of Seine-inférieure and Calvados. Some have ascribed it to the hyacinthus comosus; others to butomus umbellatus.
The green milk of some writers is supposed to be only blue. Milk not coagulable is produced by feeding on husks of green peas, and on mint. Bitter milk, from wormwood, sonchus alpinus, and the leaves of the artichoke; and in goats, from eating freely of elder, (sambucus nigra,) and potato-tops; a disagreeable taste, from turnips, in Upper Canada. Garlicky milk, from causes well known. Insipid milk, and lead-coloured butter, from equisetum fluviatile. Milk unnaturally sweet and luscious, (sucré,) from alpine clover, (trifolium alpinum;) and red butter, from the ripe berries of asparagus.—Bulletin.
14. Hyoscyamus dilates the pupils of the eyes, the same manner as stramonium, several Eastern species of datura, and belladonna, which the Europeans use. The strongest species was datura fastuosa.—Oriental Magazine, apud Du Fermon.
15. Worms in the Eye.—Several cases of worms in the eye are mentioned in the Bulletin des Sciences Medicales, for Feb. 1826. Deguilleme saw several in the eye of a cow; and the case was published by Gorier, a veterinary teacher, in his memoirs. In the report of the proceedings of the veterinary school at Lyons, in 1822-3, there is the case of a mule, in which a knot of worms (crinons) was seen in one eye. Two were extracted; (why no more is not said;) and another subsequently. No inflammation was produced; but a violent nervous agitation of the head, and a turning of it to the left side took place. Next follows an account of a memoir read before the Medical Society of Calcutta, but of which the name of the author is not given. He is represented as stating, that the strongylus armatus minor of Rudolphi, and the filiaris (filaria) papillosa, are frequently found in the eyes of the horses in India, but much more so in the cellular membrane, particularly about the loins. He believes that they make their way into the blood-vessels, and, through them, into the eye. Their most ordinary seat is the cellular membrane of the loins; where they exist for years, producing emaciation, and, at length, paralysis of the hind legs. This last the Calcutta author is represented as ascribing to the penetration of the spinal marrow; but he does not appear to have verified it by dissection. Treuttler says, he has seen the strongylus armatus in aneurisms of the mesenteric artery of the horse; but the writer in the Bulletin doubts whether any have ever been found in sound arteries.
Dr. Kennedy, in the Edinburgh Philosophical Transactions, describes a worm, which he calls ascaris pellucidus, (pellucida,) as being common in the eyes of horses in India. A review of Bremser's work on worms is expected in our next, and inferences will then be drawn from these singular facts.
16. Digestion.—MM. Leuret and Lassaigne, in their very interesting and valuable experimental essay on this subject, have met with many curious results.
They found no remarkable difference in the saliva of carnivorous and herbivorous animals. The purest saliva was obtained for their experiments directly from the parotid duct, in man, the horse, and dog. The composition was as follows:
Water, 99 parts; mucus, traces; albumen, soda, chloride of sodium, chloride of potassium, carbonate of lime, and phosphate of lime, 1 part. Total, 100.
Their experiments on the bile confirmed the results of Thenard and Crevreuil.
The pancreatic juice is of the specific gravity 1.0026; at 15° of the thermometer: (centigrade, we presume.) Its composition is:
Water, 99.1 parts; animal matter soluble in alcohol, animal matter soluble in water, traces of albumen, mucus, soda, chloride of sodium, chloride of potassium, and phosphate of lime, 0.9 parts. Total, 100. This greatly confirms the analogy long observed between the pancreatic liquor and the saliva.
In the gastric liquor, there are:
Water, 98 parts; lactic acid, muriate of ammonia, chloride of sodium, animal matter soluble in water, mucus, and phosphate of lime, 2 parts. Total, 100.
Dr. Prout and Mr. Children have announced the gastric acid, of which so much has been said, to be the muriatic, while M. Chevreuil had stated it to be the lactic. MM. Leuret and Lassaigne confirm the results of Chevreuil, and that with great confidence in their own accuracy. They found the contents of all the four stomachs of ruminating animals acid. MM. Prevost and Leroyer had stated those of the three first to be alkaline. The observations of Leuret and Lassaigne agree with those of Montegre, (vide Dict. des Sci. Med.) who believes digestion to produce acidity as a result of the regular process.
The fæces become alkaline.
Substances which contain no azote, from whatever class they are obtained, cannot serve for nutrition. We cannot understand this, especially when compared with what follows. "If, on the contrary, they are soluble, one part is absorbed and another is expelled, either by urine or by the anus; such are sugar, gum, &c." This seems to us like a contradiction.
It is impossible, in the present state of science, to determine the chemical change which aliments undergo in the digestive organs; both on account of their mixture and the insufficiency of our means of analysis.
"The absorption of chyle takes place by the villi." "These communicate directly with the lacteals and the vena portæ."
"The transference of the chyle takes place by the lacteals; nevertheless, if they are obliterated, this may be done through the vena portæ."
The section of the pneumo-gastric nerves does not stop the dilution of aliments in the stomach, or chylification.
The juices secreted by the liver and pancreas, are poured into the intestines in greater quantity during digestion than at any other period; in consequence of the contact of the acid chyme with the biliary and pancreatic orifices.
The pancreatic juice is analogous to the saliva.
The spleen is an appendage to the liver; it swells during the absorption of liquids by the vena portæ.
Liquid aliments are digested, just as much as solid; but they do not require so great a quantity of gastric and intestinal juices.
Watery drinks are absorbed in the stomach and intestines, by the radicles of the vena portæ. Spirituous drinks occasion an afflux of the gastric juices, become acid, and are absorbed.
Excrements owe their colour and odour to the bile, and their consistence to the absorption of a portion of the water they contain. They carry off a large amount of the nutriment.
Great obscurity still remains as to the cause of hunger.
Thirst is thought to be produced by the drying which the pharynx undergoes, from the passage through it of the air used in respiration, and at a time when the supply of mucous fluid is scanty.
Our readers will have perceived, long ere this, that here are several propositions at war, not only with our received opinions, but with the experimental researches of some others among the modern physiologists. We do not know what Dr. Wilson Philip would say to his observations being so cavalierly dismissed: they seem scarcely to condescend to mention his name in France. Not having the original, we could do no better than translate, almost literally, the conclusions of these experimenters, as stated in the Bulletin; and the result of this is what we have just given our readers. From the words "the absorption of chyle," to the end, is nearly verbatim the language of the review.