Chemical researches on the nature and cause of cholera / by Robert Dundas Thomson.

Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Chemical researches on the nature and cause of cholera / by Robert Dundas Thomson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    of Dr. A. Buchanan have demonstrated, that what are usually termed serous effusions are in reality lymphatic, since they all contain fibrin, which can be made beautifully apparent by mixing them with blood serum, or simply by the introduction of certain moist solids into them. The nature of the salts in the rice-water evacuations is precisely similar to that of the saline matters found in the serous fluids of hydrocele and hydrocephalus. In one extract, B, there was found 3T5 grs. per 1000 of common salt, mixed with carbonate of soda, some lime, with earthy phos- phate and alkaline sulphate. In another extract, C, there was 0912 common salt; and in G, 1*66 of the same salt. The earthy phosphate was indicated by obtaining a precipi- tate, on adding ammonia to the acid solution of the salts of the fseces, and the alkaline phosphate, by obtaining distinct crystals of ammonia phosphate of magnesia when a salt of magnesia was added to the solution of the salts, after dis- solving in it sal-ammoniac. The characters which have been now detailed apply to the usual rice-water dejections, but cases frequently occurred in which the amount of organic matter was much more considerable, although the proportion of salts was not materially augmented. Sp. grav. Case D.—1021 „ E.—1010 „ K- Table XX Organic Matter. Salts. 59- 8 20-98 735 52-5 Water. 933 971-67 947-5 In D the quantity of epithelial scales was great. When they were allowed to subside, the supernatant fluid was poured off, and exposed to a temperature of 212°. The whole coagulated into a mass in a manner corresponding with the serum of blood, and yielded a similar odour; thus exhibiting the presence of a large amount of albumen. From this character the fluid corresponded in some measure with blood serum ; but still it will be observed, on a com-