Note 114 — I. Does the Heart cease to act immediately in consequence of the interruption of the cerebral action?

Physiologists have paid much attention to the great sympathetic nerve. They have made, in relation to its uses, many conjectures but few experiments; so that we have not on this subject any very precise notions. The deep situation of the ganglions renders them almost inaccessible, the superior cervical is almost the only one that can be taken out without producing death. M. Dupuy, Professor of the Veterinary School at Alfort, has discovered a method by which he can remove them with ease. We shall now relate some of his observations.

“1st Experiment. The first experiment was made on a young and vigorous horse, who had been treated for the glanders; it soon appeared that he was not affected with it, and that it was merely the caries of a tooth that had led to the belief of the existence of the disease.

“On the 24th of June his left guttural ganglion was extirpated. Soon after the operation, the eye of that side appeared to be more sunk in its socket, the eyelids were swelled and the pupil contracted.

“On the 28th of June the sub lingual ganglion appeared swollen, hard and attached; a discharge of fetid, greyish matter was discovered in the nostril of the same side.

“On the 29th of June, the wound suppurated copiously.

“From the 30th of June till the 16th of July the wound advanced rapidly towards cicatrization.

“From the 18th of July to the 15th of August the animal continued in the same state of health.

“On the 15th of August, the right guttural ganglion with a portion of the nerve was removed; this operation was followed by the same phenomena as the preceding, with this difference, that two days after the animal could not swallow water, it run out at the nostrils. There was in fact a communication between the nostrils and mouth from the caries of the back molar tooth, the roots of which were opposite the maxillary sinus, that had an opening into the nostril; the voice was lost.

“On the 20th of August, he was much emaciated, with the skin dry and adherent; the cheeks, below the jaw, were constantly moistened with sweat, which had been observed for twelve or fifteen days. The wound of the right side remained fistulous; the skin was covered with scurf, the sheath and scrotum, as well as the hind legs, were oedematous; the animal died. Nothing remarkable was discovered on dissection. Below the sub-occipital foramen the great sympathetic was slightly swelled, in the form of a knot, in the place where the division had been made.”

“2d Experiment. On the 26th of April, the right guttural ganglion, with a portion of the nerve, was removed from a sound horse, four and a half years old, strong and in good condition. The ganglion of the left side was first a little mutilated, and the nerve was removed posteriorly to the extent of thirty three centimetres. The animal did not manifest so much pain as might have been expected.

“The conjunctiva soon became red and the eyelids partly covered the eyes; the respiration became painful and loud; the pulse was hard, strong and frequent. The animal refused all food, and drank with great difficulty.

“This state continued till the 10th of May following. The two wounds were almost healed; the animal eat and drank well; but the hind legs and scrotum were still so much swollen as to interfere with his walking; the conjunctiva remained red and the pupil contracted.

“Towards the 13th of May the skin became adherent and covered with scurf; the cutaneous respiration was nearly destroyed.

“On the 25th of May, the swelling of the legs and the scrotum became considerable, notwithstanding the frictions with water and turpentine, which were made several times a day since the 13th; he could, with difficulty be got out of the stable to be examined. The pulse retained its hardness and frequency. The dung was hard, black and small.

“During the month of June the phenomena were similar to those we have enumerated; the swelling of the scrotum and the legs resisted the tonic and stimulating applications.

“On examining the body, the ends of the nerves that had been drawn out were found swollen as in the first horse. Similar results have been obtained in all the other experiments that have been made on this subject. It may be said in conclusion, that the phenomena which appear after the removal of this ganglion, and which do not depend on the operation, are the contraction of the pupil, the redness of the conjunctiva, general emaciation, accompanied with swelling of the legs, and a scurfy eruption which ultimately affects the whole cutaneous surface.”