1819.) and on the Blood in general. 13 
confined to the stomach, the second to the duodenum, the third 
to the lacteals, and the fourth to the biood vessels. 
The properties of chyme,* chy/e, and blood, the results of these 
processes, appear to run gradually and imperceptibly into one 
another, and hence, perhaps, they can hardly be considered as 
distinct and well defined steps in the general process of sanguifi- 
cation. As, however, the vessels, or organs, in which they take 
place are perfectly distinct, it becomes a matter of convenience 
to consider the processes themselves as distinct also. I shall, 
therefore, first consider the important function of digestion. 
Phenomena, &c. of Digestion in a Rabbit.—A rabbit which 
had been kept without food for 12 hours was fed upon a mixture 
of bran and oats. About two hours afterwards, it was killed, 
and examined immediately while still warm ; when the following 
circumstances were noticed:—The stomach was moderately 
distended, with a pulpy mass, which consisted of the food in a 
minute state of division, and so intimately mixed, that the differ- 
ent articles of which it was composed could be barely recognized. 
The digestive process, however, did not appear to have taken 
place equally throughout the mass, but seemed to be confined 
principally to the superficies, or where it was in contact with 
the stomach. | The smell of this mass was peculiar, and difficult 
to be described. It might be denominated fatuous and disagree- 
able. On being wrapped up in a piece of linen and subjected to 
moderate pressure, it yielded upwards of half a fluid ounce of 
an opaque, reddish-brown fluid, which instantly reddened litmus 
paper very strongly, though not permanently, as upon being 
dried, or even exposed to the air for a short time, the blue colour 
was restored.+ It instantly coagulated milk, and, moreover, 
seemed to possess the property of redissolving the curd, and 
converting it into a fluid, very similar to itself in appearance. It 
was not coagulated by heat, or acids; and, in short, did not 
exhibit any evidence of an albuminous principle. On being 
evaporated to dryness, and burned, it yielded very copious traces 
of an alkaline muriate, with slight traces of an alkaline phosphate 
and sulphate ; also of various earthy salts, as the sulphate, phos- 
phate, and carbonate of lime. 
Very similar phenomena were observed in other instances, 
The contents of the stomach uniformly reddened litmus paper, 
and, in general, coagulated milk (except in one instance, in 
which the animal had lately died, apparently from some injury of 
the stomach, which was quite crammed with food), when the 
property of acting upon milk was very weak, and appeared to be 
* TL use the term chyme in a sense somewhat different from that commonly em- 
ployed, by limiting it to that portion of thealimentary matter found in the duodenum, 
which has already, or is about to become albumen, and thus to constitute a part 
of the future blood. 
+ On looking at the litmus paper the next day, I observed it had again assumed 
Steep red colour, which was permanent, This curious fact will be noticed here- 
after, 
