VOL. LIV.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 145 



flag Stone, weighing about 1 pounds ; there was no discolouring here, but, as 

 in the stone steps before mentioned, the appearance was as if the stone had been 

 broken by the blow of a sledge hammer. One continued leaden gutter runs 

 over the eves of these houses on the east side as well as on the west side. 



XLIII. An Account of what appeared on opening the Body of an Asthmatic 

 Person. By fV. fVatson, M.D., F.R.S. p. 239. 



The appearances in the body of Mr. W., aged 28, who died of an asthma, 

 were as follow : 



On lifting up the sternum, the lungs were enormously distended with air, 

 which no pressure could force back through the windpipe. This air was extra- 

 vasate, had burst through the extremities of the bronchia and vesicular substance, 

 and had insinuated itself throughout the whole substance of the lungs, in which 

 it was detained by the membrane investing them. Indeed the whole substance 

 of the lungs was in a state truly emphysematous. In several parts this air had 

 formed large bladders, which, though no pressure on the surface of the lungs 

 could force back, a slight incision into them permitted to escape, and caused the 

 whole lobe to collapse. Besides this emphysematous affection of the whole sub- 

 stance of the lungs, the pulmonary vein was in all its parts distended into num- 

 berless varices, many of which were of the size of the small, or Lucca olive, and 

 were distended with grumous blood. Besides these, there was a larger cyst in 

 the right lobe of the lungs, which was filled with deep coloured ichor; this lobe 

 adhered to the pleura in great part of its surface. The lungs in general were of 

 a deep red colour, and here and there on their surface beginning to sphacelate. 



The figure of the human heart is that of a cone, divided through its axis; 

 but in this case, the heart's figure was altered, and was more compressed than 

 usual ; and its ventricles distended with grumous blood. Every other part of the 

 body was in its natural state. 



From this examination we find that in this instance respiration was greatly dis- 

 turbed, to say nothing of the cyst in the right lobe, nor of the adhesion of that 

 lobe to the pleura, from 2 manifest and potent causes, viz. the varicose state of 

 the pulmonary vein, and the emphysema throughout the whole substance of the 

 lungs. The varices of the pulmonary vein not only retarded the blood in its pas- 

 sage to the left auricle of the heart, but, occupying a much larger space in the 

 lungs than they naturally should, they left less room for the minute ramifications 

 of the bronchia to extend themselves; and consequently a less quantity of air was 

 taken in at every inspiration than was necessary for the ordinary purposes of life. 

 But the disorder of the lungs from the varices was made infinitely worse by the 

 emphysema. For by the exlravasated air possessing so large a portion of the 

 lungs, and which the patient could by no means part with in expiration, very 



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