102 THE SECRETIONS: 



I have on several occasions collected and analysed the sweat 

 of persons in the vapour-bath ; it is, however, always mixed with 

 more or less water condensed on the body from the vapour of 

 the bath. The sweat collected in this manner from the arms 

 and face was a turbid, rather dirty-looking fluid, which, after 

 standing for some time, deposited gray floccules, recognizable 

 under the microscope as epithelium-scales, for the most part 

 broken and in fragments. The filtered sweat had in one in- 

 stance a specific gravity of 1003, in another of 1004 ; it was 

 slightly acid, which appears to be the ordinary reaction of nor- 

 mal sweat ; in the course of 24 hours it became neutral, and on 

 holding over it a rod moistened with hydrochloric acid, a slight 

 cloud was observed. 



On evaporation of my own sweat, as well as that of another 

 healthy man, the peculiar smell of the axilla was observed, and 

 an odour of ammonia developed; the presence of this sub- 

 stance was also indicated by the test to which we have just re- 

 ferred. On evaporation to dryness, the odour of extractive 

 matter became perceptible. On triturating a portion of the 

 residue with free potash, ammonia was developed ; on the addi- 

 tion of sulphuric acid to another part, sulphurous acid was 

 first given oft 7 , and afterwards a marked odour of acetic acid. 

 In one instance the odour of butyric acid was so clearly asso- 

 ciated with that of acetic acid, as to leave no doubt of its 

 presence. 



On boiling the dried residue of sweat with ether, a small 

 quantity of fat is taken up, which may be isolated by evaporating 

 the ether, and possesses the peculiar odour of sweat. Alcohol, 

 on being then added to the residue, becomes of a pale yellow 

 colour, and is rather strongly precipitated by tannic acid and 

 acetate of lead, indications of the presence of alcohol-extract. 

 On evaporation of the alcohol, chloride of sodium crystallizes in 

 cubes, and in addition to these cubes, which constitute the 

 greater part of the salts, and many of which have octohedral 

 surfaces, there are also long prisms, plates, and fern-like crystal- 

 line clusters of hydrochlorate of ammonia; the latter, especially, 

 is very abundant in sweat that has stood for some time. On 

 treating a portion of the residue of the salts with sulphuric acid, 

 there is extricated in the first place some hydrochloric acid in a 

 state of vapour, and subsequently a decided odour of acetic acid. 



