F^CES. 383 



tion of tlie fluid he obtained in the receiver a liquid with an 

 alkaline reaction, and having a fishy odour. On the addition 

 of nitric acid this liquid assumed a beautiful red tint, which it 

 retained during evaporation. The fluid, when concentrated, had 

 an intense red colour, but was devoid of odour, which only be- 

 came again apparent on neutralizing the free acid by an alkali. 



The portion that remains in the retort after the distillation 

 of the fluid contains traces of albumen, some intestinal mucus, 

 the ordinary salts of the animal fluids, and a large amount of 

 carbonate of soda. 



Wittstock's researches respecting the fsecal discharges in 

 cholera, coincide in most points with those of Vogel : he ob- 

 served the beautiful rose-red tint that was produced by the ad- 

 dition of nitric acid, and he ascribed it to the presence of an 

 urate ; it is however known, that the formation of purpurate 

 of ammonia or murexid from uric acid, requires a greater de- 

 gree of concentration of the reacting substances, and a height- 

 ened temperature. 



The faeces of a woman who had a very severe attack of 

 sporadic cholera, (whose blood and urine I likewise analysed,) 

 formed a turbid and colourless fluid, which had a strong 

 alkaline reaction, and effervesced on the addition of acids, 

 giving off carbonic acid and sulphuretted hydrogen, which, in 

 all probability, arose from carbonate of ammonia and sulphuret 

 of ammonium (hydrosulphate of ammonia). 



When allowed to stand for some time it formed a sediment, 

 which consisted, for the most part, of mucus-corpuscles, with 

 some crystals of ammoniaco-magnesian phosphate. No epi- 

 thelium cells were observed. On treating the fluid with nitric 

 acid, effervescence took place, and flocculi of coagulated albumen 

 separated themselves ; moreover, the fluid in a short time be- 

 came of a rose-red colour, a phenomenon that was induced 

 more rapidly by gentle warmth : when strongly heated for some 

 time the colour entirely disappeared. 1 



The quantitative analysis of the fsecal discharge in this case 

 gave the following results, calculated for 1000 parts : 



1 [In an examination of the faeces in cholera, instituted by Heller, (Archiv i, p. 18,) 

 a similar reaction was observed. The exact nature of the change that the bile-pigment 

 undergoes in such cases is not clearly understood.] 



