Faecal fermentation as a cause of disease : together with the general rules of treatment to be observed / by C.H.F. Routh.

  • Routh, C. H. F. (Charles Henry Felix), 1822-1909.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Faecal fermentation as a cause of disease : together with the general rules of treatment to be observed / by C.H.F. Routh. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    tion. The best and the most recent analysis that I am ac- quainted with is that of Dr. Marcet {Philosophical Trans-- actions^ vol. cxliv, p. 265). From his inquiries, it would appear that fasces consist of—excretine, a peculiar animal matter; margaric acid; colouring matter like that of blood; a light granular substance, which he regards as a combina- tion of phosphate of potash and pure organic matter; an olive-coloured acid; excretoleic acid. Lastly, there is no evidence of butyric acid. Excretine contains both sulphur and nitrogen. It is not found in carnivora. Their faeces yield a substance like it, but not identical with it. Moreover, these contain butyric acid in their excrements. Among herbivora, horses, sheep, dogs fed on bread, wild boars, elephants, deer, and monkeys, neither butyric acid, excretine, nor cholesterine, are found. The crocodile, how- ever, forms an exception in regard to the cholesterine. From an analysis by Fleitmann, the salts of faeces are very numerous:— Chloride of sodium.... * *58 Chloride of potassium 07 Potash 12*44 Hydrate of potash (or equivalent weight of carbonate of potash) 10*05 Soda 0*75 Lime \ 21*36 Magnesia 10*67 Sesquioxide of iron 2*09 Phosphoric acid 30*98 Sulphuric acid 1*13 Silicic acid 1.44 Carbonic acid 1*05 Sand 7*39 100*00 An ultimate analysis by Playfair gave the following re- sults :— Carbon 45*24 Hydrogen 6*88 Nitrogen (average) 4* Oxygen 30*3 Ashes 13 58 100*00 L