MAGENDIE, Francois, frafi-swa nia zhon-de, French physician and physiologist: b. Bordeaux, 15 Oct. 1783; d. Paris, 8 Oct. 1855. He was the pupil of the celebrated Boyer, and at 20 was appointed successively aide d'anatomie in the faculty of medicine, and dem onstrator. He, however, subsequently devoted himself principally to the practice of medicine, was in 1819 elected a member of the Academy of Sciences and in 1831 succeeded Recamier in the chair of anatomy in the College of France, which he retained until his death. As an ex perimenter in physiology he occupied a high position and his experiments on living mina's were at one time so numerous and involved so much suffering to the animals that the French government deemed it necessary to interfere The results obtained, however, were of great importance, if they do not absolve him the charge of cruelty. Among them may uc named an original demonstration that the two roots of the spinal nerves are devoted to tw? separate functions; that the veins are organs absorption; that strychnine acts upon the spinal cord and contracts by tetanic spasm the nerves of respiration, thus inducing asphixia; that food destitute of nitrogen is not nutritious, and that prussic acid is a valuable remedy in certain forms of cough arising from irritation in the lungs. He was a prolific author of med
ical works, the most important of which are (Fortnulaire pour la preparation et emploi de plusieurs nouveaux medicaments) (1821), con taining an account of the effects of certain plants then recently introduced into the materia medica, and which has been translated into all the languages of Europe; (Précis elemental= de physiologic) (1816-17), for many years an important manual for students; (Lecons sur les phenomenes physiques de la vie) (1836-42); (Lecons sur les fonctions et les maladies du systime nerveux) (1839); (Lecons sur le Sang) (1839); (Recherches philosopluques et cliniques sur le liquide cephalorachidien ou cerebro spinal) (1842).