otive power of
expansion ceased, and (the hand's impulse being too weak of itself to
carry it on) circulation failed; but it was restored by putting snow or
ice around the extreme parts of the tube. How often have we heard of
ladies who, having gone into warm baths, have been found dead by their
friends, or too nearly so, to be restored.[2] Through ignorance of the
cause, no right means would be taken to restore them, such as dashing
cold water upon the exterior, with simultaneous efforts to produce, in
fresh air and in proper position, such artificial respiration as leads
to the natural. Where no internal lesions have occurred, there is every
reason to believe that such measures might produce restoration.

My imperfect machines gave me to see how much might be done for this
important part of physiology by a more perfect apparatus. Mine was
merely horizontal--but one might be made to take as many positions as
are natural to the human frame; and how many facts might such an one
elicit concerning the effects of position on the circulation, by which
lives might every day be saved! But skilful mechanicians, not ordinary
mechanics, are needed, who are men of intellectual capacity, and are
furnished with _carte-blanche_ for time and expense.[3]

The years 1836-'7-'8 witnessed, on my part, several extraordinary and
fruitless efforts to get before the public the theory, of whose truth
and importance I was then fully convinced. In 1839, Dr. C. Smith, then
of Troy, an able medical lecturer, became a convert to the theory; and
showed me, in post mortem dissections, the organs of respiration and
circulation. At the close of that year, having carefully corrected and
made out copies of my manuscript theory, which I had before written, I
sent two to Paris--one to the two brothers, Drs. Edwards, members of the
French Institute, and one to my friend, Madame Belloc. I also sent one
to Edinburgh, to Dr. Abercrombie. Dr. Milne Edwards soon after wrote a
book, in which he made it a point to show that animals could live
several minutes without breathing; and Dr. Frederic Edwards wrote me a
short letter of objections to my theory, and adherence to that of
Harvey. This letter was copied and answered in my work published in
1846.

About this time, Dr. Aikin, of Baltimore, wrote to me on the subject;
and showed, by calculations, that the mere gradual expansion of the
water of the blood was not sufficient, of itself, to produce a current
as ra