14 
MEMOIRS OF A VETERINARY SURGEON. 
Of the other secretions, the saliva contains the lactates of 
potass and soda, with phosphate of lime, soluble chlorides, a 
little sulphocyanide of potassium, and an animal principle 
called ptyalin ; but its solid matters only amount to twelve 
parts in the thousand. The secretion from the pancreas is 
said to resemble saliva very closely. The gastric secretion 
contains a free acid, with an organic principle known as 
pepsin; and milk contains casein, fat, sugar, and saline 
matters. 
(To be continued .) 
MEMOIRS OF A VETERINARY SURGEON. 
THOUGHTS IN THE SICK BOX. 
By Thos. Greaves, M.R.C.V.S., Manchester. 
(<Continued from p. 692, vol. xxxii.) 
A correct knowledge of the normal state of the atmo¬ 
sphere is a vantage-ground that must not be under-estimated 
in these inquiries. Nor must w r e omit to notice those con¬ 
ditions of the air which are supposed to be favorable to 
the generating of disease, and much less those that are 
indisputably proved to be conducive to the recovery of 
health. Can any man deny the exhilarating effects pro¬ 
duced upon his animal spirits, the hilarity and joy expe¬ 
rienced by him, as he breathes a light, clear, bracing atmo¬ 
sphere, called by the poet “the sweet breath of Heaven ?” 
or will he deny, on the other hand, the depressing influence 
of a dark, heavy, murky one ? To say that such robs him 
of animal electricity is, to my mind, a very inadequate ex¬ 
planation. I am disposed to think that there is something 
more in it; some reciprocal convertibility or phenomena, not 
yet fully understood, constituting a scientific problem. 
It is a notorious fact that in our best ventilated stables the 
natural condition of the atmosphere is greatly changed; the 
consequences of which upon our horses are clearly shown in 
Mr. jNTDougalTs remarks in my former paper, whenever 
health has yielded precedence to disease, and morbid action 
has been set up. We then find how highly susceptible the 
various membranes and organs of the body have become, 
and how important it is that our patient be at once placed 
in an atmosphere the temperature and state of which are 
