On the influence of brandy on the bodily temperature, the pulse, and the respirations of healthy men / by E.A. Parkes.

  • Parkes, Edmund A. (Edmund Alexander), 1819-1876.
Date:
1874
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the influence of brandy on the bodily temperature, the pulse, and the respirations of healthy men / by E.A. Parkes. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    any gases besides carbonic oxide formed in the experiment. This gas was analyzed by the addition of oxygen and subsequent detonation by the electric spark, the absorption of the carbonic acid by potash, and the removal of the oxygen over by pyrogallate of potash. The results of the analysis entirely concur with the assumption that the 188*6 A'olumes of gas were constituted of hydrogen, marsh-gas, and formic aldehyde in the proportions given below:— Hydrogen 183'2 Marsh-gas 0*2 Formic aldehyde , 5*2 188-G The composition of 100 volumes of the gas being. Hydrogen 97*11: Marsh-gas 0*10 Formic aldehyde 2* 70 100-00 Another experiment was attended with similar results, only that the proportion of marsh-gas was somewhat greater. The result of this experiment may be considered to be given in the equation CO^-\- 2H,= COH^ 4-H^O. I have reason to believe that formic aldehyde is also formed in the reaction of hydrogen and carbonic oxide, and that the marsh-gas found (in both experiments) results from the decomposition of this substance, possibly according to the equation 2COH2=C02-l-CH^. I do not now dwell upon this subject, as it is my intention very speedily to lay before the Society, together with other matters, the details of the various experiments which I have made in reference to it. II. ^^On the Influence of Brandy on the Bodily Temperature, the Pulse, and the Respirations of Healthy Men.- By E. A. Parkes, M.D., F.R.S., Professor of Hygiene, Army Medical School. Beceived November 29, 1873. In the Proceedings of the Eoyal Society (Nos 120, 123, and 136) the details of experiments are given which show that in two healthy men pure ethyl alcohol, brandy, and claret, given at intervals duriug the day, produced no effect on the temperature of the body as measured in the axilla and rectum. This result is in accordance with the experiments of several other observers, while there are some experimenters who have noticed a de- crease in temperature in healthy men after the use of alcohol. In some cases of disease in men and in some healthy animals alcohol has caused, it would seem, a decided lessening of temperature.
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