ON EXPECTORATED MATTER. «>0 | 



crowds of sphencal particles were seen passing to and fro,)a 

 c'orrents, not unlike those of the blood ; except that they 

 wefe larger. These globules I could not destroy, or alter 

 in form, by trituration ; or by long boiling in water; or by 

 exsiccation, and again dissolving in water; or even by coa- 

 gulation with mineral and vegetable acids, with alcohol, 

 with sulphuric ether, or with tannin, and alum ; or by mix- 

 tare with caustic alkalis in a proportion which leaves the 

 liquor turbid ; or for some time after the putrefactive pro- 

 cess had appeared. But these globules disappear with such 

 ft l)roportion of sulphuric acid as detaches charcoal ; or of 

 nitric acid, and of liquid potash, as produces a clear solu- 

 tion : also by charring by tire. It is perhaps superfluous to 

 remark, that these atomic globules are quite different from 

 the air bubbles usually entangled in this kind of matter, as 

 perceived by the microscope ; the latter differ much from 

 the former, in being of far greater magnitude — in being less 

 numerous — in being transparent, and disappearing on agi- 

 tation, or heating the matter, or even by mere standing. 



For the most part this expectorated substance swims on 

 water ; but by agitation or stirring to disengage air bubbles, 

 or by merely standing, it sinks. Some of the lumps sud- 

 denly hawked up immediately fall to the bottom of a vessel 

 of water. No §igns of either acid, or alkali, appeared on 

 the trials of this matter with well known reagents, provided 

 it was free from extraneous matter; but it was apt to betray 

 acidity from things taken with the food or drink, 



4. Puriform matter. I have seen this matter expectorated Puriform mat- 

 in several diseases in the quantity of two or three ounces to ^^' 

 half a pint in twenty-four hours, on some rare occasions, 

 without any breach of surface. 1 believe it would be con- 

 sidered by every one to be piis, having the properties com- 

 monly admitted to be those of this substance. It will how- 

 ever, perhaps, only be just to call it punform, for tiie pre- 

 sent, as it appears to me probable, that 1 shall iiereafter be 

 able lo show, that it possesses properties not belonging to 

 pus of abscesses, although in the obvious, or sensible pro- 

 perties, it is similar to such pus. Accordingly this expec- 

 torated matter is not only opaque, white, or yellowish, and 

 as thick as the richest cream, but it also has not more tena- 

 city 



