CHAPTER H. 



ORIENTAL WANDERINGS, DISCOVERIES, AND PERILS. 



IN March, 1842, having been connected during the 

 period of a year and a half with the Blockley Hos- 

 pital, Elisha Kane completed his regular course of 

 medical studies in the University of Pennsylvania 

 and received his doctor's degree. On this occasion he 

 chose for the subject of his thesis the unfamiliar and 

 esoteric theme known under the name of Kyeatein. 

 This term represents a new substance which had 

 but shortly before that period been discovered by a 

 member of the medical profession in Paris ; and it 

 was then supposed to possess great importance in 

 investigations having reference to utero-gestation. 

 The inquiry was new and important. A few experi- 

 ments had already been made in reference to it in 

 the hospital ; but Dr. Kane, having selected it as the 

 topic of his thesis, entered into more enlarged and 

 accurate researches on the subject. The result of 

 these labors was, that his production was regarded 

 by those best qualified to judge, as possessing un- 

 usual interest and permanent scientific value; and 



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