An experimental inquiry into the properties of carbonic acid gas or fixed air : its mode of operation, use in diseases, and most effectual method of relieving animals affected by it ; being an inaugural thesis, submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; the Trustees and medical faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, on the 12th day of May, 1797 ; for the degree of Doctor of Medicine / by Joseph Johnson, of Charleston, (S.C.) member of the Chemical, and honorary member of the Philadelphia Medical Society.

  • Johnson, Joseph, 1776-1862.
Date:
1797
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An experimental inquiry into the properties of carbonic acid gas or fixed air : its mode of operation, use in diseases, and most effectual method of relieving animals affected by it ; being an inaugural thesis, submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost ; the Trustees and medical faculty of the University of Pennsylvania, on the 12th day of May, 1797 ; for the degree of Doctor of Medicine / by Joseph Johnson, of Charleston, (S.C.) member of the Chemical, and honorary member of the Philadelphia Medical Society. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    r5 fmgly. Neither do I agree that the arterial fyftem can be primarily affected: but that the difeafe is commu- nicated to it by a reflected impreffion, is lincerely my opinion. Fontana, in his work on poifons, and Bergman, who firft proved the acid nature of this gafeous fluid *, have declared that life ceafes in confequence of the irritabi- lity being deftroyed. That this is true in its literal fenfe, I openly deny ; for, in all the diffections that I have feen, and in thofe given by all other authors, the contractility of the heart has been in no degree lefs, than when the animals are deftroyed by other means. But if we confider their affertion in a more general point of view, it will appear to be faying nothing more than fimply that life is deflroyed. For if we believe that the life of an animal depends on the aptitude of its fibres, to receive the impreffions necef- fary to excite the motions of life, it is evident that death muft in all cafes, equally depend on the lofs of this aptitude or fufceptibility of impreflion. Befides this, if the lofs of irritability were the imme- diate caufe of death in the fenfe that they view it, life could always be reftored to a certainty, according to the elegant experiment of Girtanner, by fimply inflating the lungs with oxigenous air, as he found the contractions of the heart reftored inftantly as the air enters the lungs • but this unaffifted by other treatment is found to be an ineffectual practice. Dr. Percival, in anEffay on the Vapours of Charcoal, fays they aft on the olfactory nerves firft, and that the brain and nervous fyftem is affected by fympathy or confent of partsf. He feems to be of opinion that * The credit of firft difcovering the acid nature of carbonic acid gas has been given to Mr. Bewley, on account of his Effay pub- lished by Dr. PrieftJey in the 2d vol. of his Obfervations on Air. The two publications on this fubject, it is true, appeared about, the fame time ; but the preference will, by comparing the dates of the experiments, be decidedly given to the Profeifor of Upfal. f See Dr.Percival's Eflays, Vol. I. p. 338.