VOL. XLVI.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 85 



as before ; whether it be that they are less preservative of this humour, or, as he 

 suspects, that they were not well mixed. Nitre acted nearly with its full force, 

 being about 4 times stronger than sea-salt; it generated some air, but much less 

 than it did with the gall. No other humour was tried; but from these specimens, 

 addal to the former experiments, we may conclude, that whatever is preservative 

 of flesh, will be generally antiseptic, though perhaps not always with equal force. 



4. Having already shown how putrid flesh might be sweetened, he concludes 

 this part of his subject with a like trial on the yolk of an egg. A portion of 

 this, being diluted with water, stood till it corrupted; when a few drops were 

 put into a phial with 1 ounces of pure water, and about twice as many drops 

 were mixed with a strong infusion of camomile-flowers. At first both phials had 

 some degree of a putrid smell ; but being corked, and kept a few days near a 

 fire, the mixture with plain water contracted a strong fetor, while the other 

 smelled only of the flowers. 



Thus far he has related the experiments made with antiseptics; by which it ap- 

 pears, that besides spirits, acids, and salts, we are possessed of many powerful 

 resisters of putrefaction, endued with qualities of heating, cooling, volatility, 

 astriction, and the like, which make some more adapted than others to particular 

 indications. In some putrid cases, many proper antiseptics are already known: 

 in others they are wanting. We are yet at a loss how to correct the sanies of a 

 cancerous ulcer ; but from such a multitude of antiseptics, it is to be hoped some 

 may be found at last adequate to that intention. It may be further remarked, 

 -that as different distempers of the putrid kind require different antiseptics, so 

 the same disease will not always yield to the same medicine. Thus the bark will 

 fail in a gangrene, if the vessels are too full, or the blood sizy ; but if the vessels 

 are relaxed, and the blood resolved or disposed to putrefaction, either from a bad 

 habit, or the absorption of putrid matter, then is the bark a good specific. With 

 the same caution are we to use it in wounds, viz. chiefly in cases of absorbed 

 matter, which infects the humours, and induces a hectic fever. But when in- 

 flammatory symptoms prevail, the same medicine increasing the tension of the 

 fibres, and siziness of the blood, a state directly opposed to the other has such 

 consequences as might be expected. 



By the success of the bark in so many putrid cases, it should appear that as- 

 triction had no small share in the cure. And indeed the very nature of putre 

 faction consists in a separation or disunion of the parts. But as there are other 

 cases, in which astringency is less wanted, we may find in contrayerva-root, 

 snake-root, camphor, and other substances, a highly antiseptic power, with little 

 or none of the other quality. And since several of these medicines are also dia- 

 phoretic, their operation is thereby rendered more successful. 



Dr. P. comes now to the last thing proposed, which is, to give an accotmt of 



