On the proximate cause of death after the spontaneous introduction of air into the veins. With some remarks on the treatment of that accident / [John Eric Erichsen].

  • Erichsen, John Eric, 1818-1896
Date:
[1844]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: On the proximate cause of death after the spontaneous introduction of air into the veins. With some remarks on the treatment of that accident / [John Eric Erichsen]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ed by the air and blood being, as it were, whipped together be¬ tween the columnce carnece and cordce tendinece. As the intro¬ duction of air continues, the circulation becomes gradually more feeble and languid, the heart's action, however, being fully as for¬ cible, if not more so, than natural. The animal soon becomes unable to stand, if placed upon its feet rolls over on one side, utters a few plaintive cries, is convulsed, extrudes the feces and urine, and dies. If the thorax be immediately opened, it will be seen that the heart’s action is continuing regularly and forcibly, and that the pulmonic cavities, though filled, do not appear distended beyond their ordinary size. The detail of the following experiment will illustrate these points. The left jugular vein having been exposed in a young puppy, puncture was made in it at a point where the venous pulse was per¬ ceptible. Air immediately rushed into the heart, with a liquid hissing sound ; the animal then became convulsed, and struggled violently. On listening to the thorax the heart could be heard to beat very forcibly, with a loud churning noise ; and a peculiar rasp¬ ing thrill was perceptible on applying the hand to the parietes of the chest. The air entered at each inspiration, and frothy blood issued from the opening in the vein at each expiration ; convulsive movements and deep gaspings ensued, and at each spasmodic action of the muscles of the trunk air was forced out in the form of a bloody froth, whilst at each gasp a fresh quantity gained admittance. Ninth minute after death. All movement having ceased, the chest was laid open. The heart is beating from 60 to 68 strokes per minute, regularly and forcibly. The ventricles are not full¬ er than usual, the right auricle is distended with a florid bloody froth, the bubbles of which can be seen distinctly through its pa¬ rietes. The left auricle is contracted upon itself. At each au¬ ricular contraction a quantity of bloody froth can be seen to be forced into the vence cavce, whence it flows again into the auricle during the diastole of that cavity. Air-bubbles can also be seen through a thin part of the right ventricle near the septum. The vence cavce, both superior and inferior, are full of large bubbles of bloody froth, which at each systole and diastole of the auricle make a corresponding movement of flux and reflux. The pulmo¬ nary artery and coronary veins appear of a lighter colour than usual, evidently from containing less blood. The lungs are very pale, certainly not collapsed, perhaps slightly distended. The pulmo¬ nary veins contain but very little blood indeed. Fourteenth minute after death. The right auricle contracts from 60 to 64 times per minute; the ventricles from 30 to 34. The state of the left auricle could not be observed.