ANALYSIS OF BLACK VOMIT. 135 



the flomach in a ftate of diflblution, but muft be derived 

 from feme other fource. This opinion is ftrongly coun- 

 tenanced by the difTcftions of Dr. Jackfon, and other wri- 

 ters, on the fubjedt of yellow-fever. That experienced 

 phyfician remarks, that the black colour of the vomited 

 matter was evidently owing to a mixture of vitiated bile ; 

 the paflage of which might be eafily traced from the gall- 

 du£t into the pylorus*. Dr. Lining, of Charlefton, ob- 

 fcrves, that the black flaky fubftances are, the bile mixed 

 or adhering to the mucus of the ftomach ; for, upon dii- 

 feCting thofe who died of this difeafe, not only in this, 

 but in former years, I always obferved, fays this accurate 

 phyfician, that the mucus of the ftomach was abraded, 

 and the bile, in its cyftis, was black, and fometimes 

 very vifcld ; and, in fome cafes, had the conlift^nce 

 of Venice turpentine, and was extremely tough. -f- Mr. 

 Defportes, of St, Domingo, remarks, that they found, on 

 dilFedlion, the gall-bladder full of black bile, the colour of 

 ftrong coifee|. This circumftance of the colouring-matter 

 of the vomit being derived from the gall-bladder, is ftill 

 farther corroborated by fome diffedions made by Dr. 

 Phyhckand myfelf, at the hofpital, at Bufli-hill, during 

 the prevalence of the difeafe in 1793. In two pcrfons 

 who died at an advanced period of the difeafe, the ftomach 

 contained, as did alfo the inteftines, a black liquor, fimilar 

 to what had been vomited, and purged, before death. This 

 liquor appeared to be a fluid, in all refpe£ts, of the fame 

 quality with that which was found in the gall-bladder. § 

 Thefediftedions, without adducing any other of a fimilar 

 nature, muft, no doubt, convince every impartial obferver, 

 that the black matter of the vomit is derived from the 

 liver, and does not confift of a diflblution of the villous 



T 2 coat 



* 'lee Tieatife en tlie Fever of Jamaica, p. 173, and 174. 



f See Obfervations, Phyfical and Literary, vol. ii. 



t See Difeafes of St. Domingo, p. 202, vol. i. 



j See a medical fketch of the Yellow-Fever, publiflied in 1794. 



