152 Sir E. Home on the Formation of Fat 



Our associate, Mr. Brande, afterwards examined the sub- 

 stance, and made the following report upon it. 



** The globules voided appeared to be composed of the 

 " ohve oil combined with mucus: the latter separated during 

 " putrefaction, and the oil w^as evolved, apparently unaltered. 

 " The relative proportion may be estimated at one-third ani- 

 " mal matter, and two-thirds vegetable oil/* 



The following case, which was also communicated to me 

 by Dr. Babington, shews that fat is sometimes formed in the 

 intestines, and detected passing off with the faeces. 



Elizabeth Ryder, four years and a half old, had been 

 healthy for six months after her birth, when she became thin, 

 had a sallow complexion, and was liable to jaundice. At a 

 year and a half old, her belly was tumid, and she had great 

 weakness in her back and limbs, for which complaints Dr. 

 Babington was first consulted. At three years old, her 

 mother observed something come from her, as she walked 

 across the room, which, when examined, was found to be fat 

 in a liquid state, which concreted when cold. Ever since that 

 time to the present, she has voided, at intervals of ten or 

 fourteen days, the quantity of from one to three ounces, 

 sometimes pure, at others mixed with fasces ; when voided, it 

 has an unusually yellow tinge, and is quite fluid like oil. Her 

 appetite is good, as well as her spirits, and her flesh firm ; 

 her belly rather tumid, but not hard : she is subject to occa- 

 sional griping: her urine natural, and she sleeps well. The 

 specimen on the table was procured under circumstances which 

 precluded all possibihty of deception. 



These facts, so strongly in favour of the opinion I had taken 

 up, led me to devise in what way it might be put to the test 



