198 Dr. Traill on Oil in the Serum of the Blood. [March, 



chemical examination ; and a similar appearance having recently 

 occurred in a case under the care of my friend Dr. M'Cartney, 

 of this place, he sent to me a portion of the serum, which yielded 

 on analysis a still larger proportion of oil than had been obtained 

 in the former instances. Dr. M'Cartney's patient is a stout 

 young man, who was attacked by acute hepatitis. 



Examination of the Serum. 



This serum separated spontaneously from the crassainentum ; 

 but in appearance, it strikingly resembled that described in the 

 journal above-mentioned. Its colour is a fine yellowish-white ; 

 its consistence (in this cold weather) is that of very thick, rich, 

 cream ; but it becomes more fluid by a gentle heat. It did not 

 make any deposit, on being left at rest for several weeks. 

 Indeed serum of this sort seems little disposed to spontaneous 

 change ; for some which has been two years in my possession 

 still retains its colour ; and though it has a putrid smell, it exhi- 

 bits visible signs of decomposition only by a very slight separa- 

 tion of nearly colourless water, from a coagulum resembling new 

 cheese. 



The specific gravity of the serum now under consideration 

 = 1-0187, which nearly agrees with that last examined, though 

 it be somewhat less than that of the first. 



One hundred grains of the serum were slowly evaporated by a 

 moderate temperature. The residue, when the watery part was 

 wholly dissipated, = 21-1 grs. A yellowish transparent oil was 

 observed to flow beneath the solid residue, when the glass cap- 

 sule was heated ; but it became solid, and of a greyish-white 

 colour, at the ordinary temperature of my apartment. The oil 

 was taken up, while fluid, by bibulous paper, which had been 

 previously weighed with due attention to ensure uniformity in 

 the state of its hygrometric moisture. A portion of the paper 

 was deeply stained with the oil, and fresh portions were employed 

 until the broken coagulum no longer soiled the paper. The 

 weight gained by the paper = 4 - 5 grains. 



The albumen was soaked for six hours in distilled water, and 

 well washed on a filter. The dried albumen = 15*7 grains. 

 The washings were evaporated, and saline matter, consisting 

 chiefly of muriates and lactates, were obtained, amounting to 

 0*9 gr. of which 07 appeared to be of the former. 



From these results, we may state the constituents of this 

 remarkable fluid to be : 



Water = 78-9 



Albumen = 15 7 



Oil = 4.5 



8alts = 0-9 



loo-u 



