2 2>. Crawford’s Experiments on the Matter 
branches of the larger blood-veffels, which have a peculiar 
power of refitting the adion of other purulent dilcharges. 
' A pprehending that fome light might poffibly be thrown upon 
the nature of cancerous, difeafes, by enquiring into the proper- 
ties of this fubftance, I procured a portion ot it from a patient 
who had for feveral years been afflicted with a cancer ni the 
breaft. Having diffufed it through pure water, I divide 1 
into three parts, which were put into lma g as ve w s . . 
one of thefe I added a folution ot vegetable fixed aUali, 
the fecond, a little concentrated vitriolic acid ; and to the 
third, fyrup of violets. By the vegetable hxed alkali no en- 
able change was, produced : upon the addition of the vitriolic 
acid, the liquor in the fecond glais acquired a deep brown co- 
lour a brilk effervefcence took place, and at the lame time 
the peculiar odour of the cancerous matter was greatyen- 
: c reafed, and diffufed itfelf to a confiderable diftance through 
the furrounding air. The fyrup of violas communicated to 
the liquor in the third glafs a faint green colour 
The cancerous matter ufed in thefe experiments had a 
-brovrnifh -caft. It had been imbibed by cotton, an ept or 
ifome days before the trials were made. ^ 
Mr. Geber has fhewn, that animal fubftances upon aei 
firft putrefadion do not effervefce with acids ; that, after t e 
proceft & continued for fome time, a mnnifeft 
takes piece ; and that this efifcS agam d.fappeats betote me 
.putrefa&ion has ceafed. . 
Sufoeding that the effervefcence in the preceding experim 
might have, arifen from a change which the matter un erwent 
in "confequence of its having been kept fome days before the 
trial was made, I repeated the experiment with a port, . 
•ireddiih matter recently obtained from a cancerous penis. P 
