EXPERIMENTS ON THE SPLEEN. ] Q^' 



tincture of rhubarb in two ounces of alkaline water: the 

 serum of the splenic vein to fifteen drops: the serum from 

 the left auricle of the heart,, to three drops. The infusion 

 of the liver gave no orange tinge, but had it not been ob- 

 scured by the red particles of the blood, it must have been 

 equal to that of the serum from the auricle. 



The connecting membrane between the stomach and Connecting 

 spleen was attentively examined, very few absorbent vessels "^een thesto' 

 were seen, and these were not in a turgid state, they were inach& spleen 

 traced to the chain of glands situate near the edge of the ^'^^"^''^^ * 

 spleen, which receive the absorbents of the stomach, but 

 none were detected passing beyond the glands, nor did the 

 glands admit quicksilver to pass through them towards the 

 spleen. 



Exp. 2. The former experiment was repeated upon ano- Exp. 2. 



ther ass, with similar results, but less strongly marked ; the burinTl^I^^' 



cause of this difference was explained by the abdominal vis- degree; per- 



cera being in an inflamed state. ^^^P^ ^'"°'" '"" 



^ . 1-11111. flammation of 



The urine was less unpregnated with rhubarb, the mfu- viscera, 



sion of the spleen had a lighter tinge, and the serum of the 

 splenic vein had it in a still less degree; but evidently ex- 

 ceeding that of the serum from the vena cava inferior 

 opened just below the diaphragm, which was substituted 

 for the left auricle of the heart, with a view to varj'^ the ex- 

 periment. 



Exp. 3. The same experiment was made on a third ass Exp.S.Simikr. 

 with similar results. 



Exp. 4. An ass that had been kept four days without Exp. 4, 



water, and two without solid food, on the evenina: of the 8th f"^'^*^''*^^ '■'^"- 



•~ barb given. 



of January, 1808, had a bail given it, containmg half an 



ounce of powdered rhubarb; on the gth, at seven o'clock 

 in the morning, this was repeated ; a third was given at nine 

 o'clock, and a ourth at twelve. At two o'clock, the ass was 

 pithed, and four ounces of blood were taken from the sple- 

 nic vein, and the same quantity from the left auricle of the 

 heart. 



The spleen was found contracted to half the size of those Spleen much 

 in the former experiments; when cut into the cells were ^°'^^'^^'^'^'*' 

 small, and it required a magnifying glass to see them dis- 

 tinctly. The^tibstance was compactj and bore a near re- 

 semblance 



