i8 Objects Seen in Cholera Evacuations. [part i. 



that Professor Hallier in some instances might have been deceived by these 

 appearances, especially as it is evident from the conclusions he draws concerning the 

 importance of some of the " cysts " in M. Kobin's plate (which are undoubtedly fat), 

 that he had not made prolonged microscopic examinations of ordinary excreta : the 

 Professor, however, had more spore-like objects to deal with than fat, such as the 

 ones described in the next and following paragraphs. 



2. Almost invariably circular cells are observed in choleraic dejections of a 

 greenish-yellow or brownish tint ; contents generally homogeneous, and the capsules 

 very delicate. 



The microscopic appearance of one of these capsules is here represented at different 

 distances from the object-glass, the size selected being about the average (Plate XII, 

 Fig. xxxv). The appearance of the capsule a little before the focus is attained is 

 shown at 1, a clear spot shading off into a dark ring. On bringing the object-glass 

 nearer to it, the defined outline of a spherical body is seen with slight opacity in 

 the centre (2) ; and on attaining the exact focus, a greenish-yellow perfectly hyaline 

 sphere is brought to view (3). On going beyond this, a dark spot is seen in the 

 centre, gradually shading off towards the periphery (4) ; when the light is shut off 

 almost entirely, a slightly irregular space is seen presenting a very slight pink tint 

 (5) ; this particular cell was constantly watched for three hours, when suddenly it 

 became transparent, and required most careful illumination and focusing to make it 

 visible, a delicate ring of a slightly diminished diameter being all that remained (6). 



These, however, are not always spherical ; frequently a very filmy tongue-like 

 projection is observed (Fig. xxxvi, 1), sometimes more than one (2) ; it is projected 

 exceedingly slowly, and then retracted amoeba-like. After a time this action ceases, 

 the projected vesicle-like tongue is either permanently retracted, or is left out rolling 

 about with the corpuscle in the fluid (3). These are doubtless distended blood-cells, 

 a great number of which may exist without yielding the slightest trace of colour to 

 .a rice-water evacuation. 



Whilst following the changes taking place in these particular corpuscles in various 

 fluids, I had opportunities of making an examination of the urine of a patient in 

 the General Hospital under the care of Dr. Lyons, who had been suffering from the 

 condition known as " Chylous urine "' for about a month, together with pain in the 

 right testicle, and great emaciation, in spite of good food and a good appetite. As 

 the colour so closely resembled many rice-water stools, I carefully examined it, and 

 was repaid in a way I had not anticipated. It was albuminous to the extent of 

 about one-fourth of its bulk, slightly acid, with a specific gravity of 1*015 ; ether 

 caused a separation into two layers, a clear urine-like fluid containing oil molecules, 

 and a white homogeneous mass consisting of minutely molecular debris. Before the 

 addition of re-agents the fluid under the microscope so closely resembled the condition 

 of a cholera stool just described, as not to be distinguishable from it ; yellowish-green 



