FIFTH REPORT- 1835. 
the dorsum of a tongue. When this was removed the pale and almost 
unchanged villous membrane was distinctly visible. The membrane was 
perhaps a little softened. When the secretion just mentioned was not of 
an opake whitish colour, it was of a dusky brown of no great intensity. 
This colour was distinctly situated on the edges of the valvulse conni- 
ventes, and was in all probability produced by the action of the acid on 
the colouring matter of the blood with which the edges of the valvulse 
conniventes had been injected. 
Not only the peculiar appearance which I have just described extended 
to all or to the greater part of the intestinal canal, but strong acid pro¬ 
perties were manifested in it. This rapid diffusion of this noxious agent 
through so large a portion of the alimentary canal forms a striking con¬ 
trast with those cases in which arsenic was the poison employed, in which* 
as it has already been stated, either no trace of the poison, or such only 
as were extremely faint, could be detected at more than a short distance 
beyond the pylorus, although the animal survived the administration of 
the poison for some hours. It would seem that this extent of the diffu¬ 
sion of the noxious agent is commonly the case with acid poisons and 
may be regarded as characteristic*. 
The blood in the mesenteric veins was of a dark colour, confirming the 
observations of Dr. A. T. Thompson and Dr. Perry of Lausanne. It 
also appeared to possess acid properties. In observing the effect of ox¬ 
alic acid on the stomach of the dog, as seen in this case, one can scarcely 
fail to be struck with the strong resemblance which it bears to the state 
of the human stomach as often seen in post mortem examinations, more 
especially with respect to the coloured and softened texture of the mu¬ 
cous membrane. The peculiarities in both of these respects have been 
strongly insisted upon as indicative of chronic inflammation. They un¬ 
questionably may be met with when this state has existed, but if I am 
not greatly mistaken they also occur when this has not been the case, 
and they may with much more probability be referred to the action of 
the juices of the stomach, which vary greatly in their properties, and 
doubtless act not only after death, but even in some degree before life is 
quite extinct. 
No. 8. The last case which I have to bring forward is that of poisoning 
by spirits of wine. In investigating the action of poisons, it v/as next 
to impossible to lose sight of an agent, which not only involves many in 
inextricable misery, but hurries thousands to their graves. 
Rather more than an ounce of strong spirit was injected into the sto¬ 
mach of a dog, as in the case of the experiment with boiling water. The 
effect was immediate. In a minute and a half he vomited mucus and a 
little blood; in three minutes he was wandering and falling in different 
directions; in five he fell down and voided a quantity of urine, the 
muscles of the abdomen and extremities were thrown into violent action; 
* The mention of this fact to the Medical Section at the meeting in Edinburgh 
gave occasion to my friend Dr. William Thomson to show me a striking illus¬ 
tration of this principle in a representation of the effect of poisoning by nitric 
acid preserved in the splendid and extensive collection of pathological drawings 
in the possession of his father Dr. J. Thomson, Professor of Pathology. 
