Prize thesis : an experimental inquiry, concerning the presence of alcohol in the ventricles of the brain, after poisoning by that liquid : together with experiments, illustrative of the physiological action of alcohol : for which, a gold medal was awarded by the Medical faculty of the University of Edinburgh / by John Percy.

  • Percy, John, 1817-1889.
Date:
1839
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Prize thesis : an experimental inquiry, concerning the presence of alcohol in the ventricles of the brain, after poisoning by that liquid : together with experiments, illustrative of the physiological action of alcohol : for which, a gold medal was awarded by the Medical faculty of the University of Edinburgh / by John Percy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Francis A. Countway Library of Medicine, Harvard Medical School.

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    potass. On the application of heat, however, a portion, or rather the greater part of the liquid, was suddenly propelled into the receiving tube. I then removed the latter, and allowed it to stand at rest for some minutes ; after which, I thought I could observe a supernatant stratum. But on more careful examination, I found that no such separation had taken place. With a capillary pipette introduced just below the surface, I re- moved a few drops ; but they neither burned, nor dissolved camphor. Owing to the accident above- mentioned, the experiment can only be regarded as decisive in so far as it shews, that if the effused liquid contained any alcohol whatever, it must have been in very small proportion ; because none was eliminated by sub-carbonate of potass. With regard to the brain, which was treated in the usual way, I am not warranted in pronounc- ing with certainty, concerning the presence of alcohol. I must state, that, on the evening of distillation, a supernatant stratum instantly ap- peared, on agitating the product in a test-tube with sub-carbonate of potass ; but, unfortunately, I did not immediately proceed to examine the