94 THE SECRETIONS: 



On the fifth, sixth, eighth, and ninth days after the com- 

 mencement of the eruption the pustules contained a thick 

 yellow fluid, which had a slightly alkaline reaction, and con- 

 tained numerous yellow pus -corpuscles, the capsules of which 

 readily burst. 



Tremoliere describes the contents of a well-conditioned pus- 

 tule as yellow, turbid, and with an oily appearance. The smell 

 and taste of this fluid were unpleasant, its specific gravity was 

 1031, and it consisted, according to his statement, of fibrin, 

 mucus, chloride of sodium, sulphate of potash, and phosphate of 

 lime. Gruby found that the fluid in the pustule on the seventh 

 day was transparent; it contained white, nearly spherical vesicles, 

 which appeared wrinkled on one side. 



Vogel has made some important observations regarding the 

 modifying influence of tissue, constitution, &c., on the nature of 

 pus. 



Pus from the cellular tissue is usually the purest, pus from 

 mucous or serous surfaces being too thin and fluid, and con- 

 taining in one case an admixture of mucus, in the other of 

 serosity. Pus from the liver is pultaceous, thick, and of a 

 brownish red colour. On allowing it to stand for some time, 

 a dense, thick, and reddish matter separates from the white 

 pus. Pus from the kidneys is usually rather fluid, of a whitish- 

 yellow colour, and saltish. Pus from the urinary bladder may 

 be either fluid or tough, and varies in colour from a yellow to a 

 dirty brown-red tint; it frequently also has an ammoniacal 

 odour. Pus from the bones is blackish, or white with black 

 specks ; it has an odour and taste of phosphorus. Syphilitic 

 pus is of a yellow or yellowish- green colour ; it possesses a nau- 

 seous smell, and a sweet but sickly taste. Scrofulous pus is 

 caseous, very fluid, grumous, and sometimes resembles coagu- 

 lated milk ; according to Gendrin, it contains more soda and 

 chloride of sodium than ordinary pus ; according to Preuss, it 

 contains casein, like tubercular matter. Rheumatic and 

 arthritic pus are very similar ; for the most part very fluid, irri- 

 tative, and corrosive. I have examined the dried residue 

 of the liquor puris of an arthritic person ; it was of a grayish- 

 yellow colour, contained no membranous shreds, could be easily 

 pulverised, and exhibited no appearance of crystals when exa- 

 mined under the microscope. On heating it with nitric acid, I 



