ANALYSIS OF BLACK VOMIT. 129 



had a power of adting on parts it came in contact with.* 

 This power has hkewife been inferred from fome patients 

 complaining of a forenel's in their throats, immediately 

 after the ejed:ion of this black matter. 



To determune how far it was capable of adling on the 

 healthy body, it was fubmitted to the following experi- 

 ments : 



ilL In October, 1794, immediately after a quantity 

 of black vomit was taken out of the ftomach, after death, 

 I applied fome of it to my tongue and lips ; to the latter 

 it gave, a fhort time after application, the fenfation of a 

 fluid perceptibly acrid. This experiment was, the next 

 day, feveral times repeated, with the fame refult. 



2d. A friend of mine applied it to his lips, and it pro- 

 duced a fimilar fenfation ; but would not affeft his tongue. 



3d. Finding the effedts of this matter fo different from 

 what was expefted, 1 began to believe that this difcharge 

 varied materially in point of adlivity, in different pa- 

 tients ; but, on fubjedting the black vomit, procured 

 from a number of perfons, to the fame teft, it produced 

 the fame eifedt. 



4th. Two ounces of a fluid, refembling chocolate, was 

 obtained, which was vomited a few hours before death. 

 This was applied in the fame manner ; but, there could 

 not be perceived any difference in the refult. 



5th. In the beginning of Odlober, 1799, Mr. Jofeph 

 Parker, an aftive and intrepid member of the board of 

 health, obligingly prefented me with five ourxces of black 

 vomit, obtained from the phyficians of the City-Hofpital. 

 Some of this I applied to my tongue, in his prefence, but 

 could not perceive the leafl corroiive effedl. When this 

 fluid v/as appHed to the Ikin on different parts of the 

 body, it produced no other effect, than what water did of 



the 



* See Defportes, on difea'cs of St. Domingo, p. 203, vol. i. 



