328 THE MODERN HORSE DOCTOR. 



on rapid death. In both these cases, after death the lungs 

 proved greatly injected ; the blood within the large vessels was 

 deep black and hardly coagulated, and much resembled currant 

 jelly. Frequent repetition of these experiments led the learned 

 professor to the conclusion that, whenever putrid matter in any 

 quantity is introduced into the system, the blood losing its char- 

 acteristic properties, and becoming unfit fdr circulation through 

 the lungs, death ensues. 



" With a view of ascertaining if the gastric juice possesses any 

 influence in counteracting the deleterious effects of -putrefaction, 

 M. Bernard, after having contrived to obtain some of this juice 

 through means of a stomach fistula, mixed it with an equal quan 

 tity of putrid blood, leaving them together for eighteen hours, 

 and then injecting the mixture into the jugular vein of a dog. 

 The animal giving no signs of having felt any thing amiss, the 

 conclusion was come to, that gastric juice was endowed with the 

 power of neutralizing the deleterious action of the putrid fer- 

 ment. Spallanzani had already shown that gastric juice was an 

 antiseptic: this observation shows more — that the same juice 

 has the power of robbing putrid matters of their hurtful qual- 

 ities. 



" Under certain conditions putrid miasms prove highly active. 

 These conditions are, a sufficient quantity of the miasm, an ele- 

 vated temperature, and, we must add, individual susceptibility. 



" "We readily understand that, for the production of the disease, 

 it is necessary that the miasm should exist in sufficient quantity, 

 spread about in the air, and that the air reach the lungs sufficiently 

 saturated for it to become introduced into the system. The heat 

 also, at the time, ought to be perceptible and continuous. Yellow 

 fever does not prevail in cold seasons. It is in countries where 

 the air is warm and humid that putrid fermentation actively 

 proceeds and acquires all its baneful properties. M. Magendie, 

 in his experiments, found that more putrid matter was required 

 to take effect in cold than in hot weather ; in addition to which, 

 every individual has his peculiar insusceptibility, (resistance 

 propre.) 



u So that the cause of disease called, not without reason, putrid, 

 is to be sought in the introduction into the circulation of putrid 



