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II. On Expectorated Matter, By George Pearson, 

 M.D., F.R.S, Abridged from the Philosophical Tratis- 

 actions for I8O9. 



*^ J. HE attentioin of physiologists has been very much 

 withdrawn, for the last half century, frotn the consideration 

 of the different states of the circulating and secreted fluids^ 

 in consequence of the opinion that the nervous and fibrous 

 or muscular systems can afford satisfactory interpretations 

 oi the phaenomena of living beings ; and on account of the 

 disgust produced by the visionary properties and groundless 

 hypotheses, originating in the humoural doctrines of Galen. 

 But late experiments have manifested, that various things 

 taken into the stomach can be made at pleasure to produce 

 considerable effects, by impregnating sensibly the blood 

 and urine, as well as the milk, sweat, and perhaps saliva. 

 Further, the tine experiments of Professor Colman have 

 shown, that the contagious glanders may be excited in the 

 ass by the transfusion of the blood of a glandered horse^ 

 and the matter from the nose of the glandered ass can 

 produce this disease in the horse or the ass*. Hence I ap- 

 prehend it is reasonable to expect, that the further investi- 

 gation of the properties of the animal fluids will afford 

 gratifying instruction to the researcher in natural science, 

 and important practical information to the physician. 



" On the present occasion, I desire the honour of com- 

 mutiicating the knowledge I may have acquired, by inves- 

 tigating the properties of expectorated matter secreted by 

 the bronchial membrane. 'Jlie appearances of this sub- 

 stance serve to regulate the judgement of the physician con- 

 cerning several diseases of the Tungs ; but especially of that 

 of pulmonary tubercles, which yearly destroys 120,000 to 

 140,000 subjects of the United Kingdom* It is fit that I 

 remark, that I do not notice in this paper the ingenious 

 experiments of several learned chemists, because by so 

 doing I should be led into a detail of too great extent for 

 my design. 



'' The numerous varieties of expectorated matter, ac- 

 cording to my observation, may be arranged and characte- 

 rized under the following seven heads : 



'^ I. The jelly-like semi-transparent kind of ablucish hue,- 

 excreted in the healthy state. 



• Mr. Colman alleges, that there is not a sufficient quantity of blood, in 

 a single glandered ass, to excite the glanders by the transtusiou of blood 

 into the liorse. 



^' II. The 



