Further experiments and observations on the influence of the brain on the generation of animal heat

• Published in: Abstracts of the Papers Printed in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: The Royal Society 1832
• Subjects: Carbonic acid
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspl.1800.0254; https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/pdf/10.1098/rspl.1800.0254

In some former experiments it was found, that in an animal from whom the head was removed, the circulation of the blood might be maintained by means of artificial respiration; that under these circumstances the blood underwent the usual changes of colour in the two capillary systems, and carbonic acid was evolved from the lungs, but no heat was generated, and the animal cooled more rapidly than a dead animal of the same size. In the present communication, some experiments are detailed, which were instituted with a view to the further elucidation of this subject. An apparatus was constructed for the purpose of measuring the air consumed in respiration; and two series of experiments were instituted,—the first to ascertain the quantity of air consumed by animals breathing under ordinary circumstances; and the second to ascertain the quantity consumed by animals which are made to breathe arti­ficially after the functions of the brain are destroyed. It was found, that in animals breathing under these different circumstances, there is little or no difference in the quantity of oxygen which disappears, and of carbonic acid, which is evolved in a given space of time; but that it uniformly happens, that where the functions of the brain are suspended, no heat is generated; and that the animal cools more rapidly than a dead animal.