HISTORICAL SKETCH. 23 



during the warm and dry summer of that year, were 

 compelled to drink very foul water. Later Magendie, 

 induced by the investigations of GtASPAKD and the obser- 

 vations of DuPRB, made many experiments, in which dogs 

 and other animals were confined over vessels containing 

 putrid animal matter and compelled constantly to breathe 

 the emanations therefrom. The effects varied markedly 

 with the species of animal and the nature of the putrid 

 material, but in some instances symptoms were induced 

 which resembled closely those of typhoid fever in man. 

 Leuret directed his attention to the chemical changes 

 produced in blood by putrefaction, but accomplished noth- 

 ing of special value. DuPUY injected putrid material into 

 the jugular vein of a horse, and with Trousseau studied 

 alterations produced in the blood by these injections. 



During the third decade of the present century there 

 were many investigators in addition to those mentioned 

 above, who endeavored to ascertain the active agent in 

 poisonous foods. Dann, Weiss, BIjchner, Schumann, 

 Cadet de Gassicourt, and Orfila studied poisonous 

 sausage, but made no advance upon the work done by 

 Kerner. Henneman, Hunnefeld, Westrumb, and 

 Serturnbr made contributions concerning poisonous 

 cheese, but all believed the caseic acid of Kerner to 

 be the poisonous principle. 



In 1860 Schmidt, of Dorpat, made some investigations 

 on the decomposition products and volatile substances 

 found in cholera stools ; and, two years later, Meyer, of 

 Berlin, injected the blood and stools of cholera patients 

 into lower animals. In 1853 Stich made an important 

 contribution on the effects of acute poisoning with putrid 

 material. He ascertained that, when given in sufficient 

 quantity, putrid matter produces an intestinal catarrh, with 

 choleraic stools. Nervous symptoms, trembling, unsteady 

 gait, and, finally, convulsions were also observed. Stich 

 made careful post-mortem examinations, and was unable 

 to find any characteristic or important lesions. Theo- 

 retically, he concluded that the putrid material contained 

 a ferment which produced rapid decomposition of the blood. 



