Additional observations on the static lung tests / [William A. Guy].

  • William Augustus Guy
Date:
[1842?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Additional observations on the static lung tests / [William A. Guy]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    they must give to the question proposed is already expressed by the figures themselves. The decision of the majority would be, that the weight of the lungs is not much greater after respiration than before it ; one author, at least, would be bound to represent the weight as nearly the same before and after respiration ; and my own personal experience would be opposed to that of all the rest in representing the weight of the lungs before respiration as exceeding by a considerable fraction their weight after respiration. It appears, then, that no medical witness can be justified inlaying any stress whatever on his own personal experience in questions of this kind ; aud that if his personal experience be appealed to, he is bound to guard against the errors to which it may lead by pointing out its utter insufficiency. When it is recollected that the table contrasts the weight of the lungs of still-born children with that of the lungs of children who have lived one month or less, and that the crime of infanticide is generally committed soon after birth, when the process of respiration has often barely com¬ menced, and is extremely imperfect, it will be quite unnecessary to say more in condemnation of the absolute weight of the lungs, as a test of respiration. The personal experience of all observers, if it do not condemn the general statement, that the weight of the lungs is materially increased by respiration, will at least reject the application of the theory to individual cases, and for medico-legal purposes. According to the general and loose statement of authors, the weight of the lungs before respiration is about one ounce, or 480 grains, and after respiration, two ounces, or 960 grains. It is al¬ ways extremely difficult to determine on whose authority such general statements as these are put forth. The only author whose observations give any countenance to such an estimate is Orfila, wThosc averages are not very remote from the assumed weights be¬ fore and after respiration ; but if the much higher authority of Schmitt be taken as our guide, the weight before respiration will be nearly doubled, and that after respiration increased by little less than one-half. A mere inspection of the table will show how far this general estimate of authors is remote from the truth. As this subject is one of too much importance to be dismissed so long as any means remain unemployed by which its true bear¬ ings may be ascertained, I have endeavoured still farther to test the value of the static lung tests by arranging the numbers before and after respiration in children at full term in two columns, and com¬ paring them with each other. This comparison, as might be ex¬ pected, shows that by far the majority of the numbers occurring in the still-born have their counterparts in observations made in children who have survived their birth. Thus, the numbers 1534, 1492, 1480, 1449, 1364, 1297, &c. occur both before and after