"1.55 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. ABRUPT RISE OF BLOOD-PRESSURE
17 millimetres.
3.3 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. RISE OF 14 MILLIMETRES.
4.44 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. RISE OF 2 MILLIMETRES."
The little animal is growing weaker. For more than six hours it has been on the rack. The play upon its nervous system is about over. At five o'clock the dog died.
The full details of this experiment do not here concern us, and are not given. Whether useful or not is another matter Pain, said Professor Langley, "WOULD CAUSE A RISE OF BLOOD-PRESSURE." Did not the blood-pressure rise when this creature's nerve was stimulated?
EXPERIMENT 114. In this experiment four dogs were simultaneously vivisected. Some of them lasted but a short time; but one—a young dog—was "in splendid condition," and subserved the object of the vivisection for many hours. The usual incisions were made in the trachea and carotid artery, and the femoral vein and sciatic nerve was exposed. At 10.59 a.m. the blood-pressure was found to be 125 milli- metres; at 10.42 it had been reduced to 99 millimetres—by what means we are not informed. Further details are as follows:
"11.42 a.m. Blood pressure 99 millimetres.
11.45 a.m. Stimulated sciatic nerve. PRESSURE ROSE TO 115
MILLIMETRES.
12 midday. Blood-pressure 95. Sciatic nerve stimulated:
BLOOD-PRESSURE 115.
12.19 p.m. Blood-pressure 92.
1.23 p.m. Blood-pressure 108; sciatic nerve stimulated.
1.26 p.m. Blood-pressure 110; three minutes later."
Between 1.29 p.m. and 2.19 p.m. there is no record of any observations. Perhaps we may venture the hypothesis that during this period of nearly an hour's duration, the young experimenters went out to luncheon. The dog, while stretched upon the rack, could have had no other refreshment than cessation from the stimulation of its nerves.
But after about an hour's intermission the young vivisectors would seem again to have begun their observations concerning the effect produced by stimulating the sciatic nerve. What was that effect? It appears to have been very uniform.
"2.28 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. ABRUPT RISE AND FALL IN
BLOOD-PRESSURE.
3.32 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. RISE AND FALL IN
BLOOD-PRESSURE.
4.16 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. BLOOD-PRESSURE ROSE TO 120,
FALLING TO 105.
4.34 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. ABRUPT RISE AND FALL OF
BLOOD-PRESSURE.
4.53 p.m. Sciatic nerve stimulated. THE USUAL RISE AND FALL
FOLLOWED."
Do we find in the last observation an indication of a growing distaste for such work? One cannot tell. Between 5.49 p.m. and 6.36 p.m. there are no observations recorded. Perhaps this period of forty-seven minutes—three-quarters of an hour—were devoted by the young vivisectors to the conviviality of their evening repast. Then the usual observations were renewed. But at 7.10 p.m., while again "stimulating the sciatic nerve," suddenly the dog's heart stopped. At 7.12 p.m. "the dog died." During a period from eleven o'clock in the forenoon until after seven o'clock in the evening—EIGHT HOURS AND THIRTEEN MINUTES—the little animal had been stretched upon the rack. Its "splendid condition" had enabled it to survive the tortures to which its three less vigorous companions in martyrdom had long before succumbed, and had made it possible for many hours to play upon exquisite sensibility.
"PAIN," said Professor Langley to the Royal Commissioners, :WOULD
CAUSE A RISE IN BLOOD-PRESSURE."