ANALYSIS OF BLACK VOMIT. 127 



was found to precipitate lime from lime-water. Alcohol 

 of galls produced a violet tinge. The vomit which re- 

 mained in the retort, after the air had been extracted, 

 from being of a very black colour, was changed, by the 

 application of heat, to a light brown. 



From reviewing the preceding analyfis, the black vomit 

 appears to be compofed of rhe following ingredients : 



(a & 1^) Prove it to contain a confiderable proportion 

 of water; 



[r] A refinous and mucilaginous fubftance ; 



[d) Proves a predominant acid which is not the car- 

 bonic, phofphoric, or fuiphuric acids ; but, in all proba- 

 bility, an acid analogous to the one contained in the 

 fluids, ejedled previous to the commencement of black 

 vomiting. Jn repeating this experiment, on the fame 

 coloured fluid, taken from twenty different patients, 

 during feveral feafons of the prevailing yellow-fever, I 

 always found a fimilar acid to predominate. May not the 

 inceflant vomiting and the ejedlion of black matter, itfelf, 

 which has been faid to be flopped by the exhibition of 

 lixivium of mild pot-alh, or lime-water, accomplilh that 

 end, by combining with this acid, and forming a fubftance 



■ lefs irritating to the ftomach, than the acid in an uncom- 

 bined ftate ? 



[e] That it contains muriate of foda, or common fait ; 

 (/) Proves it to contain neither lime, metallic matter, 



nor ammoniac. 



(g) Proves the black flaky fubftance (No. i.) to con- 

 tain an acid, in a difengaged ftate, probably analogous to 

 the one predominant in the filtered fluid. This experi- 

 ment likewife fhows it to contain muriate of foda, or 

 common fait. 



[6 & i) Prove an unftuous animal fubftance, and a 

 confiderable quantity of iron. The former rcfembled in 

 fome refpeds, fpermaceti. How far this fubftance is 



S a analogous 



