[ 39 ^ ] 
whole mafs of blood feems to be thinner than the 
jerum alone; or, the coagulable lymph feems to be 
fo much attenuated in thefe cafes, as even to dilute 
the ferum, which at firft fight appears a paradox. 
May we not, therefore, now 'conclude, that in 
thofe cafes where the inflammatory cruft appears, 
the coagulable lymph becomes thinner, and its 
difpofition to coagulation is leflfened ; both of 
which circumftances contribute to the fubfiding 
of the red globules before the furface of the blood 
is coagulated, and thence give rife to this appearance, 
called the inflammatory cruft or fize * ? 
How contrary to the conclufion, which thefe ex- 
periments lead us to, are the opinions of fome 
medical writers on this fubjedt ! How frequently 
do we find it faid, that the blood is thicker in in- 
flammatory diforders, where that appearance occurs; 
and that a large orifice is neceflary to let out the 
vitiated blood ! That a large orifice is preferable to 
a. fmall one in many cafes, where fuch blood is 
found, I believe is a truth: but that its advan- 
tages are owing to its letting out the thickened 
blood, feems improbable from what we have feen 
in the experiments above related : they are perhaps 
nearer the truth, who attribute it to the fuddennefs 
of the evacuation* 
It may be proper to cbferve here, that this fize 
or whitifli cruft, is not a certain fign of infiamma- 
* This remarkable appearance might indeed be accounted 
for, by fuppofing that the lymph had afcended to the furface 
of the blood in thofe cafes; but this is improbable, from con- 
fidering, that, in its coagulated date, it is of greater fpecific 
gravity than the ferum, and finks in it. 
tions 
i 
