23^ OK THE ALKALINE MATTER IN SERUM &C. 



I conceive, instead of following him step by step in his 

 inquiry, I have contented myself with exhibiting my own 

 experiments and conclusions. But I beg to observe, that 

 the object of my inquiry was not to repeat Dr. Pearson's ex- 

 periments, but to exanjine dropsical fluids ; and that, if in 

 the Course of my analysis I met with results which militated 

 against his conclusions, it could not be reasonably expected, 

 that, in slating these results, I should think it incumbent 

 \ipon me to wade through his laborious researches on the 

 various fotcas of sputum or expectorated matter. I might 

 indeed have abstained altogether from referring to hio la- 

 bours ; but I thought it due to him, as a philosophical in- 

 quirer lon,2; known in the chemical world, to point out such 

 similarities or discordances of results, as occurred in our re- 

 respective experiments; thus referring the matter to the 

 decision of physiologists, and showing, that there was no 

 wish on ray side to overlook the authority of former in- 

 quirers. 



In endeavouring to analyse the various objections 



brought forward by Dr. Pearson, I am so often at a 



loss to understand his meaning; and I must add, so much 



embarrassed by the obscure and inaccurate manner in 



which he has stated some of my own proceedings, that it 



would be a task equally fruitless and laborious to follow his 



steps closely. 1 must, therefore, as much as possible, select 



those objections which are of a specific nature, and may be 



answered by an appeal to experimental evidence. Such 



is, for instance, the argnment which he employs, no less 



than three times, (once in support of his own experiments, 



and twice with a view to invalidate my inferences), on the 



effects of alcohol and acetic acid, which argument is found- 



from the ef- cd upon his belief, that acetat of soda is 710/ soluble in al- 



fects of alcohol j^qI^q]^ ajj J ^\y.^^ jj jg j^^f a deliquescent salt ; two palpable 



acid: errors, which half a grain of this salt, and a few drops of 



alcohol, with no other apparatus than a watch glass, would 



have enabled him to rectify. 



from the mi- But the objection, which recurs the most frequently, 



nute quan'.iiy and that upon which the greatest Stress is laid, is the mi- 

 of saline mat- i. , . . * ^ ,. 



ler used. Duteness of the quantities of saline matter subjected to ex- 



periment. It would appear, that Dr. Pearson questions 



■whether 



