324 DR ALISON’S OBSERVATIONS ON 
affected with tubercular disease, even in its earliest stage, he had always found the 
proportion of the red globules, in which the largest part of the albuminous matter 
is contained, less than the lowest proportion which he had ever found in healthy 
persons (less than 100 in the 1000 parts, the average proportion being 127). Now 
there is no proposition, in regard to the external causes of the scrofulous diathesis, 
which has been more anxiously investigated of late years, or, on the whole, more 
fully established than this, that it is, ceteris paribus, increased by atmospheric im- 
purity and by sedentary habits, and diminished by pure air and exercise. Yet, 
if the animal frame cannot form albuminous matter, the only effect on the albu- 
minous portion of the blood, of the increased introduction of oxygen which is im- 
plied in these circumstances, must be, to hasten the decomposition and expulsion 
of the albuminous matter absorbed from the prime viz. I do not state this fact, 
as affording more than a presumption against that opinion, because I am aware 
it may be said that, under the influence of fresh air and exercise, a larger quantity 
of albumen is taken into, or is absorbed from, the stomach and bowels, than in 
sedentary persons breathing impure air; but in so far as we can judge from the 
quantities taken into the body, I am pretty certain that the experience of medical 
men goes to prove that, when the quantities and kind of ingesta are the same, the 
beneficial effects of air and exercise in counteracting the scrofulous tendency,— 
i. €., aS I believe, in increasing the proportion of albuminous matter in the blood, 
may be distinctly perceived. 
Indeed, independently of disease, | am strongly inclined to believe, that the 
nourishment of the animal body, and especially of the muscular textures, by a 
given quantity of ingesta, may be distinctly observed to be promoted by exercise, 
which is hardly conceivable on the supposition, that the only truly chemical 
changes which take place in the body are of the nature of oxidation, or slow 
combustion, and consequent excretion, in which the oxygen of the air is the chief 
agent. 
3. The phenomena of Diabetes seem to me very adverse to the idea of the 
amylaceous matter taken into the system, being wholly inapplicable to the forma- 
tion of albumen. In that disease, the digestion and appropriation of albuminous 
matter appear to go on even with unusual rapidity ; and the urea which is con- 
tained in the urine, often in increased quantity in the early stage, and which is 
always easily obtained from it in full quantity immediately before death, shews 
that this matter is ultimately disposed of in the usual way in the animal econo- 
my ; the amylaceous matter taken in must be the source of all the sugar which 
is formed in so great quantity, and which characterizes the disease ; and it seems 
to be liable only to that kind of decomposition to which such matter is liable, by 
simply chemical affinities, at that temperature, and under the influence of water 
and oxygen; it is converted into sugar, and runs off by the kidneys, 2. e., it 
seems to be actuated by no vital affinity. Now, if all the starch taken into the 
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