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throwing some light upon the contagion known as hospital gangrene. 

 I fitted up some apparatus to condense the noxious products from 

 such wounds ; but the quantity obtained was so small, that it was 

 necessary for me to acquire a more general knowledge of the various 

 substances produced during the putrefaction of animal matter, before 

 I could determine the nature of the products from sloughing wounds. 

 I therefore began a series of experiments, the general results of which 

 I now wish to lay before the Society. 



Into each of a number of small barrels twenty Ibs. of meat and 

 fish were introduced, and to prevent the clotting together of the mass, 

 it was mixed layer by layer with pumice-stone. The top of each 

 barrel was perforated in two places, one hole being for the purpose 

 of admitting air, whilst through the other a tube was passed which 

 reached to the bottom of the barrel. This tube was put in con- 

 nexion with two bottles containing chloride of platinum, and these 

 in their turn connected with an aspirator. By this arrangement air 

 was made to circulate through the casks, so as to become charged with 

 the products of putrefaction and to convey them to the platinum salt. 

 A yellow amorphous precipitate soon appeared, which was collected, 

 washed with water and alcohol, and dried. This precipitate was found 

 to contain C, H, and N, but what is highly remarkable, sulphur and 

 phosphorus enter into its composition. The presence of C, H, and 

 N was ascertained by elementary analysis ; for the sulphur and 

 phosphorus, a given weight of the platinum salt, 0*547 grni., was 

 oxidized with nitric acid, and gave 0*458 grm. of sulphate of baryta 

 = 11 per cent, of sulphur, and 0*266 of pyrophosphate of magnesia 

 = 6 '01 per cent, of phosphorus. I also ascertained the presence of 

 these two substances by heating a certain quantity of the platinum 

 salt with strong caustic ley, when a liquid, volatile and inflammable 

 alkaloid was obtained, whilst the sulphur* and phosphorus remained 

 combined with the alkali and were easily detected. I satisfied myself 

 during these researches, which have lasted more than twelve months, 

 that no sulphuretted nor phosphuretted hydrogen was given oif ; and 

 my researches, as far as they have proceeded, tend to prove that the 



* Some of the platinum salt was treated with C S 2 , which did not remove any 

 free S, and the beautiful orange-yellow colour of the precipitate showed the 

 absence of sulphuret of platinum. 



