94 Researches Regarding Cholera : The Blood. [part i. 



still warm, and there was no rigor mortis. On opening the abdomen, a little sanguineous 

 fluid was found in the peritoneal cavity. The outer surface of the intestines was much 

 congested and of a purple colour. The stomach was healthy. The mucous surface of the 

 duodenum was normal. The jejunum contained reddish-yellow frothy fluid, becoming 

 pink towards the lower extremity ; but there were no erosions of the mucous membrane. 

 Towards the middle of the ileum the contents were of a sanguineous aspect and of 

 fluid consistence, but they became paler towards the lower extremity. In the lower half 

 of the ileum there were patches of extreme congestion corresponding, as a rule, with 

 patches of tricocephalus dispar. Towards the ileo-coecal valve the intestine appeared 

 to be healthy. The large intestine exhibited a few ecchymosed spots, but was otherwise 

 healthy in appearance. The liver was fatty and showed small clots penetrating its 

 substance. The gall-bladder contained bile. The kidneys were slightly congested, 

 but otherwise normal. The bladder contained about three ounces of clear urine. 



The pleural cavity contained a little slightly sanguineous fluid. The lungs were 

 collapsed, containing very little air ; but they were not congested. The pericardium 

 contained about two ounces of fluid similar in appearance to that present in the peritoneal 

 and pleural cavities. The right auricle and ventricle were full of dark coloured clot. 



Experiment XVI. — A healthy pariah dog was put under the influence of chloroform 

 at 7 A.M., and half an ounce of the supernatant fluid of a choleraic evacuation" which 

 had been kept for four days w^as injected into the right brachial vein. The fluid 

 injected was peculiarly foetid, and was full of fine granular debris and bacteria. The 

 animal rapidly recovered from the influence of the chloroform, but continued in a pro- 

 foundly depressed condition until about 1 p.m., when he died. During the interval he 

 neither vomited nor passed any stool. 



A post-mortem examination was performed at 4-30 p.m. Rigor mortis was strongly 

 marked. There was no fluid in the peritoneal cavity ; but there was a certain amount 

 of injection of the omentum and mesentery with a good deal of dark pigmentary 

 deposit in the same localities. The intestines were very pale, externally almost white. 

 Throughout the entire course of the small intestines, from the pylorus to the ileo-coecal 

 valve, the mucous membrane was congested, softened, and apparently partially dis- 

 organized. It was coated with a thick layer of semi-fluid mucous material; and on 

 this being wiped off, the surface beneath presented a brush-like aspect due to the 



* This dejection was passed by a patient in the General Hospital. He was a sailor who had been in 

 the harbour for only three days, and who had, previous to his seizure, never been over the side of the ship. The 

 symptoms came on with extreme violence and suddenness, whilst he was in full health. The evacuations were 

 extremely characteristic, and the term " rice-water " was peculiarly adapted to describe their appearance. That 

 examined was passed two hours after seizure. On microscopic examination, the flocculi were found to consist 

 entirely of brightly refractive cells, resembling those found in recent exudations, embedded in shreds of fibrinous 

 material (so perfect was the resemblance that slides consisting of the flocculi and slides of quite recent flocculent 

 exudation, removed from the surface of the liver, associated with peritonitis, when placed under separate 

 microscopes could not be distinguished the one from the other) ; these cells in the course of a few hours broke 

 down completely, whereupon the extraordinary resemblance which this dejection bore to rice-water disappeared. 



