Erperlments on Fluids, ^c. 39 



of the abdomen, and chyle and lymph were extravasaled 

 underneath the peritoneun). 



In this and the following experiments the Infusion ot 

 rhubarb was employed in preTerence to the prussiaie of pot- 

 ash, in consequence of its having been found in those I ior- 

 meriv made, that one drop of tincture of rhubarb could be 

 detected in half an ounce of scrum, and noihing less than a 

 quarter of a srrain of prussiate ot potash in the s^ame quantitv 

 could be made to strike a blue colour when the test was 

 added. 



Expenmrnt -2.— The experiment was repeated upon a 

 dog. In this I was assisted by Mr. Brodie, Mr. William 

 Brande, Mr.Ciift, and Mr. Gatcombe. After the thoracic 

 duct had been secured, two ounces of strong infusion ot 

 rhubarb wrrc injected into the stomach, and in an hour the 

 dog was killed. The urine in the bladder, on the additioii 

 of potash, became deeply tinged witli rhubarb. The bile 

 in the ^all bladtler, bv a similar test, was found to contain 

 rhubarb. The lacteal vessels in several parts of the mesen- 

 tery had burst, and chyle was extravasated into the cellular 

 incml)rane ; the thoracic duct had given way in the lower 

 part of the posterior mediastinum, and chyle extravasated. 

 Above the ruptured part of the thoracic duct was much 

 distended with chvle ; it was readily traced to the ligature, 

 by which it was completely secured. 



'These experiments appeared to establish the fact, that the 

 thoracic duct was not the channel through which the in- 

 fusion of rhubarb was conveyed to the circulation of the 

 blood, and it now became easy to ascertam, whether it passed 

 through the spleen, by extirpating that organ, and repeating 

 the last experiment. 



On the ^2 1st of October, 1810, the following experiment 

 was made, with the assistance of Mr. Brodie, Mr. Cliff, 

 Mr. Gatcond)e, and Mr. Money. 



Kxpcrhncvt 3. — The thoracic duct near its termination 

 was secun d in a dog whose spleen had been removed four 

 davs before, and three ounces of infusion of rhubarb were 

 injected into the stomach: in an hour and half the dog was 

 killed, and the urine was found strongly impregnated with 

 rhubarb; and on examination the thoracic duct was found 

 to i)e completelv secured bv the ligature. Several of the 

 lactcals had burst, but the duct itself had not given way; 

 it was greatly distended with chyle and Ivmph. 



By ^his experiment it was completely ascertained that 



the spKcn is not the channel through which the infusion 



ul rhubarb is conveyed into the circulcjitiou oi the blood, as 



C 4 1 had 



