127 



Dr. R. Angus Smith read the first part of " An Examina- 

 tion into the Products of the Putrefaction of Blood." He 

 found that 54° Fahr., or nearly so, was a marked temperature ; 

 that below it there was little putrefaction, but above it a large 

 amount, which increased as the temperature increased as far as 

 he tried, viz., to 72° F. The amount of gas given in twenty- 

 four hours, from three quarts of diluted blood, was one hundred 

 cubic centimetres, at 57° F. (16° Cels.), but on raising the 

 temperature to 72° (22^ Cels.) the amount of gas in the same 

 period rose to 397 C.C., or four times the amount of putre- 

 faction by fifteen degrees rise of temperature. When the 

 temperature was below 54°, no gas could be collected for 

 many days. A very short rise above 54° caused sufficient 

 pressure to allow gas to be collected. These facts were used 

 to illustrate climate and sudden spread of disease. 



During the early period of putrefaction, the Author found 

 the sulphuretted hydrogen and organic matter to increase 

 rapidly. One hundred cubic centimetres destroyed 29 of a 

 solution of permanganate ; the amount then rose rapidly to 

 36, 40-6, 41, 60-2. 



Nearly ninety-eight per cent of the gas that escaped was 

 found to be carbonic acid and gases with a similar action, 

 e.e., absorbed readily by caustic alkalies. 



The gases were found to be — 



Carbonic Acid. Sulphuretted Hydrogen, Residue. 



82-68 17-32 



85-78 14-22 



89-72 10-28 



95-40 ~ 4-60 



96-20 3-80 



96-07 1.58 2-35 



96-43 2-78 0-79 



97-62 0-06 2-31 



97-09 1-93 1-98 



