Distension of the lungs : its effect on the respiration in man and in normal and vagotomized dogs / by Walter M. Boothby and Frank B. Berry.

  • Walter M. Boothby
Date:
[1915?]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Distension of the lungs : its effect on the respiration in man and in normal and vagotomized dogs / by Walter M. Boothby and Frank B. Berry. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    through the inhibitory effect, and also that dilution of the alve¬ olar carbon dioxide with pure air will augment the effect. They were able, therefore, to distinguish two distinct phenomena pro¬ duced by distension of the lungs, the first being a so-called Hering-Breuer “inhibition,” occurring with the thorax expanded, and the second being a true chemical apnoea, occurring with the thorax at the level of a normal expiration. Throughout their paper, Christiansen and Haldane tactily ac¬ cept, as an explanation of the primary pause, the Hering-Breuer theory of inspiratory inhibition from vagal excitation. That they are doubtful that this is the true explanation is evident from the following statement at the end of their paper: “Our experi¬ ments afford new confirmation to the view that true apnoea, apart from the inhibitory nervous effects produced during actual distension, or actual excitation along certain other nerve paths connected with the centre, is a ‘chemical apnoea.’ ” At the time of the appearance of Christiansen and Haldane’s paper, investigations were being made in this laboratory on the influence of the vagi over the normal regulation of the gaseous metabolism, the pulmonary ventilation, and the gas exchange in the lungs.6 As these studies failed to reveal evidence that the vagi possessed any demonstrable influence over these functions, we suspected that the apnoea following distension was likewise not due to vagal excitation. For distending the lungs we made use of a Benedict respiration apparatus7 and so weighted the spirometer that the air was under a pressure of 8 to 16 cm. of water. The subject sat in a chair and breathed through a wide-bore, three-way tap of which one branch led to the respiration apparatus, the second to the room air, and the third to the mouthpiece. The nose was closed with , a clip. The subject at first breathed quietly for a short time 6 Boothby and Shamoff: A study of the late effect of division of the pulmo¬ nary branches of the vagus nerve on the gaseous metabolism, gas exchange, and respiratory mechanism in dogs. This Journal, 1915, xxxvii. 7 Benedict: Ein Universalrespirationsapparat. Deutschen Archiv. f. klin- ische Medizin. 1912, cvii, 157-200.
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