Schifft found, when the two upper tho racic ganglia in the dog or rabbit were re moved, that the animal did not survive the operation for more than thirty-four hours; the heart, in the meantime, pulsated very quickly and forcibly. On examination after death, the blood-vessels of the pericardium were observed to be distended with blood, while a partly fluid, partly solid exudation surrounded the heart, forming in some parts adhesions between it and the pericardium.
From the experiments of Krimer it appears that division of the renal nerves gives rise to changes in the constitution of the urine. According to his observations this fluid, after the nerves have been divided, contains al bumen as well as the red colouring matter of the blood, these increasing in the same proportion as the normal innedients diminish in quantity. Similar resufts were also ob tained by Brachet* in dividing these nerves. He cut the renal artery and with it the nerves leading to the kidney, and then connected the two extremities of the cut vessel by means of a canula so as to keep up the flow of blood. The fluid which passed off by the urethra contained fibrin and albumen as well as the red colouring matter or hxmatine. Analogous experiments were also performed by Miiller and Peipers.f A ligature was applied around the renal vessels of the dog and sheep so tightly as to destroy the nerves, and again relaxed in order to allow the circulation to be re-established. Only in one case did they observe the secretion of urine continue in the kidney, the nerves of which had been de stroyed, and in this case it contained blood as also hippuric acid. The kidney- itself was more or less injected, and rapidly became disorganised.
As regards the influence of the sympathetic on the circulation, it has been already' stated, that division of the sympathetic in the neck is followed very rapidly by distension of the vessels of the conjunctiva. From experiments lately made by Bernard, it also appears that in the rabbit the vessels of the ear on the same side in like manner become immediately distended with blood, so that the ear appears quite red, %011ie at the same time its tempe rature, as well as that of the whole side of the face, rises so considerably, that the dif ference between it and that of the opposite side is distinctly appreciable to the touch.
This experitnent I have repeated several times. In a rabbit to which ether had been given, the temperature of the two ears rose to about 95° F., the vessels at the same time being much distended. The sympathetic was then divided about the middle of the neck : shortly thereafter the temperature of the ear on the side on which the nerve was not divided, sunk to 85°, and its vessels became much less distended. The temperature of the ear on the side on which the nerve had been divided, still continued as high as 95°, its vessels also remained distended, and were felt pulsating forcibly. On examining the two ears an hour or so afterwards the tempera ture of that upon the side on which the nerve had been divided, was still felt to be dis tinctly warmer than the other : its vessels were also still distended, and pulsating for cibly. How long the effects produced upon the temperature and blood-vessels continue I have not been able to ascertain : they are certainly not so permanent as the contraction of the pupil. While this remains contracted for weeks, or even months, no difference in the condition of the two ears can be distin guished a week or so after the nerve has been divided.* The experiments of Walther on the frog would also indicate that the circulation is more or less influenced by the sympathetic.* When the fibres which are sent by the sym pathetic to the nerves of the lumbar plexus were divided, he found, on examining the circulation in the web of the foot, that, al though at first undisturbed, it very soon afterwards increased in rapidity. The ca pillaries appeared to be dilated, and contained fewer blood corpuscles than corresponded to their calibre ; the increase in their diameter equalled from one sixth to one eighth of the calibre of the vessel. After a time the ra pidity of the circulation again diminished, and in some parts it became stagnant. Bidder f, on the other hand, could not in his experiments satisfy himself that any dila tation of the capillary vessels took place. Walther, however, has performed the ex periment so frequently, and so uniformly with the satne result, that he regards the dilatation of the capillary vessels as con stant.