^2d On expectorated MiTTEft. 



Season for several successive years, and sometimes during' 

 the whole of a long life, after the age of forty or fifty years. 

 2dly. It ie often the expectoratf^d matter of the pulmonary 

 consumption of young persons, also occasioned by tuber- 

 cles, but frequently mistaken for the pus> of abscesses or 

 vomica?. 3dly. It appears, oftentimes, in pneumonic or 

 bronchial inflammation with fever, seemingly being a bene- 

 ficial discharge ; as well as in some instances at the close of 

 a fever without concomitant inflammation of the lungs. 

 4thly. A severe paroxysm of spasmodic asthma is often ter- 

 minated in the excretion of this kind of matter. 5thiy. A 

 secreted substance of this sort is sometimes expectorated iii 

 various chronical organic diseases of the lungs, the heart, 

 aorta, and parts contiguous to the lungs, which occasion 

 difl[icult transmission of blood through them. 

 B^scp^lKd, I'l 5*" these instances the matter by expectoration is of 



the consistence of thick cream, or of thin toasted cheese ; 

 so tough as to hang in the form of a rope, four or five inches 

 in length, on pouring it from one vessel into another. Its 

 aggregation, is such, that it is readily detached in large 

 masses from the vitreous surface of vessels. It is not un- 

 usual for small black, or reddish spots, and streaks, to ap- 

 pear on the surface of this sort of expectorated substance. 

 A pretty large bulk of it is seldom throughout uniform ; 

 but it is frothy, and exhibits opaque masses of various hues 

 ^'ith transparent matter interposed. The colour is yellow- 

 ish, straw-colouredj and white, or gray : it also, though sel- 

 dom, is greenish and bluish. The taste, asserted by pa- 

 tients, is, in their own terms, various, namely, saltish, nasty, 

 faintish, sweetish, luscious, or like that of a sweet oyster, — 

 a sharp or sour taste is the most rare. 'J he only ^me// which 

 I have perceived is thai of flesh, but very frequently there 

 Ji* none. When any offensive or pungent smell was per- 

 ceived, immediately after expectoration, 1 have aUvaj's found 

 that it was owing either to the foulness of the vessel in 

 which it was received ; or it was from extraneous matters in 

 the mouth, and from decayed teeth. 

 Circu'ating This opaque viscid substance, being duly diluted with dis- 



sphencal glor tilled water, was examined with microscopes of common, as 

 well as of very great powers ; by means of any of them 

 ' crowds 



