ANALYSIS OF BLACK VOMIT. 13; 



every enquiry into the appearances, after death, fully con- 

 firm. This circumftance renders the yellow-coloured 

 fluid lubjeiS to feme difference in its properties, according 

 to the nature of the fluids received into the ftomach a 

 fliort time before vomiting ; but, all that 1 have had an 

 opportunity of examining, have nearly the appearance we 

 have already defcribed. 1 hat the fecretory ceconomy of 

 the liver may be fo far arrefted in its healthy a(ition, by 

 the progrefs of diieafe, as to affimulate a fluid having not 

 the leall analogy to bile, every work, on morbid diffec- 

 tions, certainly prove. Lieutaud mentions a cafe from 

 Rivalerius, in confequence of a dilealed liver, where the 

 fluid, in the gall-bladder, refembled milk ; and Storke re- 

 lates a cafe of dropfy fucceeding an intermitting fever, 

 where the fluid, in the gall-bladder, refembled-the white 

 of an egg. To thele, I may add one, that came under 

 my own obfervation, of a gentleman who died dropfical, 

 in confequence of an enlarged liver. The gall-bladder 

 contained a fluid, of a dark-colour, having not the leafl: re- 

 femblance to bile. Ihefe, and many more cafes, could 

 be adduced to prove the power of theliver, under certain 

 circumilances, to fecrete a fluid diflimilar to bile ; but, it 

 would be needlefs to recite them, as the inflances already 

 quoted, are, no doubt, fufficient to eftablilh the fa£l. This 

 peculiar condition of the fecretory velTels, in the yellow- 

 fever, is not confined folely to the liver ; for, we find that 

 other fecretory functions are fometimes afFefted in a fimilar 

 manner, during the fame diieafe, and nearly at the fame 

 period of time. In confirmation of thefe obfervalidns, I 

 believe moft phyficians mull; have remarked, that, in fojme 

 cafes, the kidnies, during the period of black vomiting, 

 fecretes a fluid of a dark-colour, which has a thick pel- 

 licle on its fuiface, and appears almofl as different from 

 urine, as the black vomit does from bile. This difcharge 

 is frequently a precurfor to a fymptom, which never 



fails 



