Proceedings of the British Association. 125 



this vesicle, lymph taken and introduced into the human subject, pro- 

 duced the genuine cow-pox. 



Dr. Baron informed the Section that he was about to publish a Report 

 on the subject of variola, and that therefore he would not enter fully 

 into the question, but he wished to state the principal arguments for the 

 identity of variola, and what Jenner denominated variola-vaccinia, or 

 cow-pox : the general conclusions he arrived at were as follows : — 1st, 

 That cattle in many ages and different countries have been affected with 

 small-pox. 2nd, That those invasions have been simultaneous with the 

 occurrence of the disease in man. 3rd, That it appeared in England, in 

 the year 1745, again in 1770, and continued until 1780. 4th, That the 

 casual transmissions of this disease, preventing the accession of small- 

 pox in man, induced Jenner to propagate the affection from one human 

 being to another. 5th, That when severe among animals, severe also in 

 the human subject. 6th, That as it has been propagated from the cow ■ 

 to man, it has also been transmitted from the human subject to the cow, 

 by inoculation. 7th, That the disease becomes milder when transmitted 

 to the cow, still preserving its protecting influence. 



Sir James Murray again adverted to a subject brought forward by 

 him at the meeting at Liverpool (see Athen. No. 517), the urinary secre- 

 tions in the circulating fluids. 



Thursday. 



' On Alkaline Indigestion,' by R. D. Thomson, M. D. — The author 

 stated that he had brought this subject before the British Association at 

 Bristol, but that since that period he had not only from ample experi- 

 ence confirmed the results of his former inquiries, but had elicited seve- 

 ral other conclusions of importance. In the healthy state, there is no 

 doubt that during a portion at least of the process of digestion the con- 

 tents of the stomach are in an acid state. Some had concluded that this 

 acidity proceeded from the presence of muriatic acid, upon what grounds 

 Dr. Thomson would discuss in the Chemical Section (see ante, p. 675) ; 

 others that it proceeded from acetic or lactic acid. 1. Whatever this 

 acid may be, there is no doubt that when it accumulates to a certain 

 extent, the stomach can no longer sustain it, and disease ensues in the 

 form of heartburn, acid eructations, &c. 2. Where the contents of the 

 stomach assume any condition offensive to that organ, either from too 

 much acid or from too small a proportion, the stomach, in many cases 

 ejects a clear fluid, which Dr. Thomson has found to be accompanied by 

 different symptoms, according to the chemical re-action of the fluid : 

 thus in heartburn an acid fluid is ejected, but without any cessation of 

 pain in the stomach ; while, on the contrary, if a neutral fluid be ejected, 

 according to the experience of the author, the pain is alleviated on the 

 instant that the fluid is got rid of. This is a more rare case of indiges- 

 tion, but the author has met with it several times. It may be termed 

 ' Neutral Indigestion. 3. The third form of indigestion which Dr. Thom- 

 son has met with, is the alkaline state of the contents of the stomach. 



