132 Researches Regarding Cholera. [part 1. 



become detached, and floated in flakes in the fluid which had been introduced, and 

 in one of the cases the subjacent mucous membrane had lost all appearance of congestion, 

 whereas it was found to have retained it in the other. In the non-isolated portions 

 of the mucous surface, the small intestine in both instances was intensely injected, 

 otherwise the structure of the membrane was intact. 



It may be remarked that in this series of experiments also, a portion of the intestine 

 for a short distance above the ileo-coecal valve was not materially affected. 



In connection with this series it is also to be noted that Pericarditis, more or 

 less distinct, was observed in fully one-half of the cases ; that portion of the pericardial 

 sac in immediate connection with the diaphragm was the part usually affected, together 

 with the portion immediately attached to the sternum. Perhaps the origin of this 

 may be explained by one of the series of Observations on the Anatomy of Serous 

 Membranes, lately published by Drs. Burdon Sanderson and Klein, which shows that 

 when various colouring matters are introduced into the abdominal cavity, the lymphatic 

 vascular system of the diaphragm becomes completely injected, as also, the sternal 

 vessels and sternal glands. 



The production of Pericarditis, but without the coincident occurrence of pleurisy, 

 by the injection of various putrefying substances into the peritoneum, is especially 

 worthy of note, seeing that the opinion is strongly held by many, that, as Lactic 

 acid, when injected in a similar way (as was demonstrated by Dr. B. W. Kichardson), 

 produces inflammation of the serous membrane of the heart, this acid must ih some 

 way be connected with the phenomena observed in Kheumatism if not in reality its 

 cause. It seems to us that putrefying substances may, on the same grounds, lay 

 claim to a somewhat similar relationship. 



With respect to the nature of the fluid produced by the inflammation which 

 had been brought on by the various organic solutions described, it may be 

 observed that under the microscope no difference whatever could be detected 

 between the fluids, beyond that in some cases red blood-corpuscles formed a more 

 prominent feature than in others, but this increased ratio was by no means confined 

 to any particular class of the organic solutions which had been introduced into the 

 abdominal cavity. In the fresh condition this fluid swarmed with irregular masses 

 of bioplasm exhibiting great activity, and very rapidly undergoing the process of 

 segmentation. 



When the fluid produced in the peritoneal cavity was transferred to the abdomen 

 of another dog, the bioplastic bodies in the resulting exudation appeared to us to 

 have become smaller and less active : this statement, however, we make reservedly. 



With regard to the numbers of bacteria present in this fluid, a fluid, by the way, 

 resulting from the introduction of solutions generally teeming with such organisms, 

 we are convinced that no material increase takes place so long as the inflammatory 

 process is progressing actively. It will be observed, on reference to the experiments 

 bearing on this matter, that in several instances not a single bacterium could be detected 



