352 CASE OF SARCINA VENTRICULI. 



was not affected, and the usual articles of diet appeared to 

 agree with him. He was thin, but had a good complexion, 

 and his flesh was firm. He stated that he had formerly been 

 very fat, but that this had left him before the accession of 

 his stomach-complaint. I was informed that one of his 

 testicles had never descended beyond the groin. 



Of the various remedies which had been tried for his 

 relief, prussic acid appeared upon the whole to have 

 exercised the greatest influence over the disease, preventing 

 the attacks with considerable certainty for several days in 

 succession. 



Being unable to make up my mind as to the exact nature 

 of the case, but conceiving it probable that there might be 

 ulceration or some other organic lesion of the stomach, I 

 ordered croton-oil, frictions of the epigastric region, and the 

 internal remedies to be discontinued. I also requested that 

 the ejected fluid might be preserved for my inspection. 



Next day I found that he had had an attack in the morn- 

 ing as usual. No new symptoms presented themselves. 



On examining the ejected fluid, I was struck with the 

 truth of what had been stated to me, that it smelt like fer- 

 menting worts, with a faint acid odour. It appeared, after 

 having stood for a few hours, moderately transparent and of a 

 light brown colour. It had deposited in the bottom of the 

 basin a quantity of a ropy matter, of a granular appearance ; 

 and on the surface was a mass of froth like the head of a pot 

 of porter. 



By a consideration of all the circumstances of the case, I 

 was now induced to conceive it possible that this and other 

 cases of similar stomach-complaints might depend on fermenta- 

 tion of the contents of the organ. Such a fermentation might, 

 I presumed, be primary that is, induced by the chemical con- 

 stitution and relative conditions of the contents of the stomach ; 

 or it might be secondary that is, induced by circumstances in 



