An inaugural essay on the effects produced by air upon living animals : submitted to the examination of the Revd. John Andrews, D.D. Provost, (pro tempore) the trustees, and medical faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, for the degree of doctor of medicine, on the 5th day of June 1805 / by Joseph Hartshorne, of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia.

  • Hartshorne, Joseph, 1779-1850.
Date:
1805
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An inaugural essay on the effects produced by air upon living animals : submitted to the examination of the Revd. John Andrews, D.D. Provost, (pro tempore) the trustees, and medical faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, for the degree of doctor of medicine, on the 5th day of June 1805 / by Joseph Hartshorne, of Alexandria, in the District of Columbia. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    tensive influence upon the whole system, it was inferred that other substances which contain the base of this gas, would have the same effecl: when applied to different parts of the bo- dy. The nitric and oxygenated muriatic acids, in common with several other substances of a similar nature, have been exhibit- ed with a view of oxygenating the system. They were all used upon the supposition, that when applied to the inner sur- face of the stomach and intestines, the same change would be induced in the blood circulating through these viscera, as is effected in the same fluid while passing through the pulmona- ry veins. Although these hypotheses are entirely destitute of foundation, yet they have led to the discovery of some useful truths : for however ignorant we may be of their modus ope- randi, the nitric and oxygenated muriatic acids, are valuable articles of the materia medica. The oxygenated muriatic acid in the gaseous state, has been lately recommended as a substitute for atmospheric air in the process of resuscitating drowned persons. The large propor- tion of oxygen which enters into the composition of this gas, the readiness with which some combustible bodies are inflamed when thrown into vessels containing it, the increase of vital action which it evidently induces in vegetables, all tend to fa- vour the supposition, that it would prove an useful auxiliary in restoring suspended animation. In the year 1803, Citizen Potel, while engaged in preparing some oxygenated muriatic acid gas, observed, that several rats which had been drowned and accidentally exposed to the action of this gas, were very soon revived ; he repeated the experiments upon other animals with the same success. After several unsuccebsful attempts to resuscitate drowned animals in the manner described by Citizen Potel, I made the following experiments, with a view of ascertaining, what quan- tity of this gas could be taken into the lungs with safety.