1835.] Baron Dupuytren. 97 



A trochar being plunged into the chest, on the right side, 

 above eight English pints of a milky serum escaped. Some 

 fibro-cellular bridles were observed in the right cavity of 

 the chest, at the bottom of which a membranous mass 

 existed, resembling concreted albumen. The pulmonary 

 pleura had a milky appearance. The tissue of the inferior 

 lobe of the right lung was condensed, as if converted into 

 flesh ; the cells contained no air, and the lung sunk in 

 water. The middle lobe, and the lower portion of the 

 superior lobe were infiltrated with a slightly reddish serum. 

 The superior part of the lung alone crepitated, and con- 

 tained a very great quantity of air. 



The left side of the chest contained at the lower part, 

 about an English pint of transparent serum, coloured by a 

 few drops of blood. Some old organized adhesions were 

 observed. The left lung was of its usual size, was slightly 

 infiltrated, and did not fall to the bottom of water. The 

 pericardium contained only a few drops of serum. The 

 heart was hypertrophied, well formed, and surrounded with 

 a very great quantity of fat. Its tissue was soft, brownish, 

 and appeared to be decomposing. The internal surface of 

 the aorta, and of the large arteries, was covered with 

 yellowish fibro-cartilaginous points, all, however, unossified. 

 The coats of the arteries were thick, and hypertrophied like 

 the heart. 



The rest of the organs seemed to be healthy, except the 

 kidnies, which were smaller than natural and contained* 

 some sand. 



Article II. 



On Racemic Acid, By Thomas Thomson, M.D., &c., Regius 

 Professor of Chemistry in the University of Glasgow. 



This acid was first noticed about the year 1817, by a manu- 

 facturer of tartaric acid, at Thann, a small town in the 

 Vosges, who considered it as oxalic acid, and sold it as 

 such. It was subjected to examination in 1819 by Dr. 

 John, who proved it to be a peculiar acid to which the 

 name trauhensaure (acid of grapes) was given by the 

 Germans. This name I translated by vinic acid in the last 

 edition of my System of Chemistry. But the term racemic 



VOL. II. H 



