186 Air and Water Poisoning 



Case II. (Dr. Tracy's.) — Characters. Clear, only a whitisli 

 turbidity, and that but slight, no conspicuous odour at first. 

 Residue per gallon - - 18"016 grains. 

 Non- volatile organic matter 6 '240 „ 



Inorganic - - - - 11-776 ,, 



It contained sufficient decomposing and decomposable^ 

 animal matter to yield marked reaction of carbonic acid and 

 ammonia. Sulphuretted hydrogen was readily evolved. 



The microscopic examination yielded specimens of the 

 following organised substances, plants, and animals. The 

 liquid soon settled clear, and a film gradually appeared at 

 the top. The fungi grew in clusters at the bottom. 



Fibres of flax, &c. ; fragments of vegetal tissues, various. 



Confervse ; filaments of mucedinous fungi (abundant), 

 which grew rapidly on standing ; Desmids, cosmarium 

 tetra-ophthalmum ; sporangia, various. 



Acarus (only one seen, dying) ; query acarus dysenterise ;, 

 rotifer vulgaris many ; kolpoda ; paramecium ; bursaria 

 many ; loxodes, very abundant in the film which appeared 

 on the top ; trichodiscus with ova ; dileptus ; monads, 

 various. 



See Photogi-aph, Plate 11., fig. 1. 



Case III. (Lying-in Hospital.) — Most of the experiments 

 were made with the sample A, but some of the characters 

 of the others were also noted. The liquids were at first 

 nearly clear, with a little sediment, but large clusters of 

 fangi soon appeared, with the odour of decomj)osition. Some 

 solid matters were found which had escaped through the 

 channels in the filter. (One piece apparently a lump of fat 

 meat (undigested) measuring f x f X |-inch was preserved 

 for illustration.) It contained — 



Solid residue, per gallon - - 9 '120 grains. 

 Fixed organic matter, do. - - 2 '5 60 „ 

 Mineral matter, do. - - - - 6"560 „ 



It yielded carbonic acid, ammonia, and sulphuretted hydro- 

 gen, and the same general conditions obtained which have 

 been detailed under No. II. The microscopic examination 

 detected the following organisms : 



Fibres of cotton, confervse, mucedinous fungi, spores, 

 monads, various. 



Desmids — Micrasterias farcata, staurastrum Dickiei and 



