196 ON THE PATHOLOGICAL MORPHOLOGY OF SOME FLUIDS. 



Of Normal Mucus. 



Mucus taken from the healthy mucous membrane of the nostrils, 

 settles into a greyish- white fluid, somewhat thick, easily drawn into 

 threads, dries when exposed to the air, leaving a hard, fragile, transpa- 

 rent, greyish scale. Water does not dissolve it ; rubbed with water 

 for a long time it is loosened, softened, and swelled, and it is no longer 

 to be drawn into threads. A small portion spread upon glass, and ex- 

 amined by means of a microscope, appears : 



1. Amorphous and greyish- white, with greyish black points irregu- 

 larly scattered in it, (which I believe to be heterogeneous substances, 

 from the air brought into contact and united with it.) Agitated for 

 some time in distilled water, the blackish grey points are dissolved. 



2. Moreover there are observed yellowish- white, round, or oval glo- 

 bules, two to four times more transparent than the red particles of the 

 blood. Globules taken from the anterior part of the mucous membrane 

 of the nostrils, appear without primitive molecules ; but, investigated 

 from the posterior part of the same membrane, they appear endowed 

 with very small ones ; dried in air they are rendered irregular and more 

 pellucid ; the primitive molecules disappear at the same time ; exposed 

 to distilled water, they are not changed, nor are their envelopes broken. 

 Plate 7, figs. 1 and 2. 



3. It contains lamellae and cells of epithelium of a greyish- white or 

 whitish colour, transparent, of an oblong or angular form, -^ to ^'" 

 l n g> TO to ToV" b roa( i > the greater part of their surface is irregularly 

 folded with here and there very small molecules deposited ; they en- 

 close a central nucleus, or a globule less transparent, exceeding by two 

 or three times the size of the blood-discs, mostly oblong, less frequently 

 round ; dried in air, the little cell of epithelium becomes transparent, 

 the opaque nucleus remaining. Distilled water does not change them. 

 Plate 7, fig. 8, a, b, c; fig. 11, 6; fig. 12, c; fig. 17, c; fig. 25, d; 

 Plate 9, fig. 41, e,f; fig. 55, b, c, d, e,f, g, h, i; fig. 53. a. 



If the cells of epithelium have been treated for about five minutes 

 with a small drop of concentrated acetic acid, sp. gr. 1,030, I have ob- 

 served no change. The same occurs with solutions of oxalic and tar- 

 taric acids : sulphuric acid 1,090; diluted nitric acid 1,170; also with 

 diluted hydrochloric acid 1,070, and liquid chlorine 1, 00. 



The same occurs with hydrochlorate of ammonia, hydrochlorate of 

 barytes, nitrate of potash, nitrate of barytes, sulphate of potash, acetate 

 of ammonia 1,015, acetate of potash 1,200, and soda, with solutions of 

 sulphate of iron and sulphate of copper ; but nitrate of silver tinges the 

 cell of a brownish colour. 



