Physiological Researches on Life and Death

by Xavier Bichat

In my different experiments with regard to asphyxia, I have remarked, that if after shutting the cock of the syringe, the animal agitate the chest by similar movements to those of inspiration and expiration, the blood is a longer time in losing its red colour, than in the case where the breast remains at rest. Such motion and agitation must cause a circulation of air in the cells, in consequence of which, a greater number of its points must be presented to the circulating fluid. My experiments which I shall presently detail on the breathing of animals in bladders, will prove the truth of the above explanation.

At present I pass to a contrary set of phenomena—to those which are exemplified when the blood regains its arterial colour during the period, which, from a state of asphyxia, restores the animal to life.

1st. When the cock, which for some minutes has been shut, is opened, the air immediately penetrates into the bronchiæ; but previously the animal expires strongly. Six or seven large inspirations and expirations follow each other precipitately. The artery being now examined, a jet of a very vivid colour is seen succeeding to the efflux of black blood, and takes place in thirty seconds at most, from the time of opening the tube. This is the inverse of the phenomenon above described. There are no successive shades perceived from black to red; the passage is instantaneous. The brightness of the colour seems even to be greater than is natural.

2dly. If instead of suddenly turning the cock, a very strong stream of air only be admitted, the colour is less lively indeed, but just as quickly regained.

3dly. If there be adapted to the stop-cock a syringe full of air, and this fluid be pushed into the lungs, on opening the pipe, and then the pipe be suddenly shut again, the blood will become red, but much less evidently so, than when the entrance of the air is owing to voluntary inspiration. Here the portion of air injected must repel into the bottom of the cells whatever is already vitiated, while on the contrary, if the tube be simply opened, the vitiated air is at once rejected, and then replaced from without. The following experiment appears to confirm this idea.

4thly. If instead of pushing air upon that which is contained in the lungs, we pump out the vitiated air in the first place, and then inflate the organ, the colouring process will be more rapid, and the colour of the blood itself especially, more lively than in the preceding case, though less so than in the first of this latter suite of experiments.

5thly. The lungs being exposed on both sides by a lateral section of the ribs, the circulation will continue to go on for a certain time. Now, if by means of a syringe adapted to the stop-cock in the trachea, the pulmonary vesicles be alternately emptied and dilated, the changes from red to black, and from black to red, will be observed as in the above experiment, as long as the circulation lasts.

The following consequences may be inferred from the facts, which I have mentioned.

1st. The rapidity with which the blood becomes red again, on opening the pipe in the trachea, is a plain proof, that the principle from which this colour is gained, must pass into the blood across the membranous parietes of the air cells, and not by means of the absorbents. I shall establish this fact hereafter upon other proofs.