aBSERVATtONS AND EXPERIMENTS ON PUS. 213 



with sufficient force to give the hand a smart blow, to drive 

 light substances out of it to the distance of half a yard, and 

 to extinguish a candle, though it was 950 m. [i039 yds.] 

 distant from the place where the pistol was fired. 



V. 



Observations and Experiments On Pits. By George 

 Pearson, M, D. F. R. S. 



/"Concluded from p. 27-^ 

 Section VII. Conclusions. 



JL HE statement of the properties of pus in the foregoing General 



inquiry I hope will be found to be true; and I submit to the conclusions. . 



judgment of others whether or no the following inferences 



are legitimately established. 



1. That this fluid essentially consists of three distinct sub- Pus consists of 



stances, viz. 1. An animal oxide, which, amonsr other pro- '^''^" distinct 



^. . J. . • , 1 7 • , • , . , substances. 



perties, is distuiguisneo by its being white, opaque, smooth, 



of the form of fine curdy particles in water; not dissoluble 

 in less than 1000 cold waters ; not coagulable into one masS 

 like serum of blood by caloric, alcohol, &c. ; only rendered 

 more curdy by water from l60°to 170°; but readilydifFusible. 

 r— 2. A limpid fluid resembling serum of blood in its im- 

 pregnations, and in its coagulability by caloric, alcohol, &c.,- 

 in which the opaque oxide is difi^usible but not dissoluble, 

 and which is specifically lighter than that oxide. — 3. Innur 

 merable spherical particles visible only by the microscope ia 

 this opaque oxide, and in small number in the limpid fluid j 

 not coagulable by any temperature to which hitherto exposed, 

 and pot destructible by many things which combine or de- 

 stroy the opaque oxide; and these globules are specifically 

 heijvieir than water*. 



* My obligingly attentire pupils, Mr Burton, and Mr. StansfElp, 

 hoH^e-surgeonsof the Lock hospital, collected for me a sufRctsnt quan- 

 tity <yf gonoirheal matter to determine, that it consisted of the three 

 ihgiedients here stated. 



Vol. XXX.— Oct. 1811. I 2. That 



