138 Mr. Home’s further Experiments 
ounces of blood were taken from the splenic vein, two from 
the vein of the colon, and two from the inferior vena cava in 
the lower part of the loins. 
The spleen was found turgid, and large ; when the cut 
surface was rubbed on white paper, the orange tint was very 
evident without any test applied to it, particularly so, when 
compared with a similar stain made by a section of the liver, 
in which there was no such tinge. 
In the stomach and duodenum, the rhubarb was found in 
large quantities ; but none was met with in the caecum. 
The urine was impregnated with rhubarb, the orange tint 
upon the application of the alkali being very distinct. 
At the end of twenty hours, the serum of the splenic vein 
had a tinge equal to four drops of the tincture of rhubarb in 
two ounces of alkaline water ; that of the vein of the colon 
and vena cava was less distinct. 
The effects of the infusion of rhubarb on the spleen, the 
serum of the blood and the urine corresponded exactly with 
that of the tincture in the former experiments, but was in a 
less degree of intensity. 
In the course of these experiments, an attempt was made 
to ascertain whether the blood in the splenic vein has a greater 
proportion of serum than in the other veins of the body, and 
the general results were in favour of such an opinion ; but it 
will appear, fom what follows, that the quantity of serum 
separated in twenty-four hours, is by no means a just criterion 
of the proportion, which the blood contains. 
Experime?it 1. Three ounces of blood from the arm of a 
healthy person were received* into a graduated glass vessel, 
previously cooled to the temperature of 32°* three more into 
