The new dispensatory: containing, I. The elements of pharmacy. II. The materia medica ... III. The preparations and compositions of the new London and Edinburgh pharmacopoeias / [William Lewis].

Lewis, William, 1708-1781

Date:: 1785

Credit: The new dispensatory: containing, I. The elements of pharmacy. II. The materia medica ... III. The preparations and compositions of the new London and Edinburgh pharmacopoeias / [William Lewis]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$This procefs takes place, in Tome degree, in the bodies of living animals ; as often as the juices ftagnatc long, or are prevented, by an obftrudtion of the natural emundtories, from throwing off their more volatile and corruptible parts. The dodlrine of putrefaction, both in living and in dead animals, has received great light from the curious and interefting experiments and obfervations of Dr. Pringle. He obferves, that if the cor- ruption be great and fudden, a fever or a flux enfue ; but that if the accumulation of corrupted matter be fo flow, that the body becomes habituated to the'putrefadlion, a feurvy prevails. Hence the frequency _of this lafl diftemper, in long voyages, on board unventilated fliips, from corrupted air and provifions ; in marfhy countries, from flmilar caufes ; and in a lefs degree, in all northern climates, in moiff fituations, from a want of due perfpiration. During putrefaction, a quantity of air is generated ; all the hu- mours become gradually thinner, and the fibrous parts more lax and tender. Hence the tympany, which fucceeds the corruption of any of the vifeera, or the imprudent fuppreflion of dyfenteries by aftrin- gents ; and the weaknefs and laxity of the vefiels obfervable in feurvies, &c. The craflamentum of human blood changes by putrefaction into a dark livid-coloured liquor; a few drops of which tinge the ferum of a tawny hue ; like that of the ichor of fores and dyfen- teric fluxes, and of the white of the eye, the faliva, the ferum of blood drawn from a vein, and that which oozes from a blifter, in deep feurvies, and the advanced flate of malignant fevers. The putrid craflamentum changes a large quantity of recent urine to a flame-coloured'water, fo common in fevers and in the feurvy. This mixture, after {landing an hour or two, gather^ a cloud, refembling what is fecn in the crude water of acute diftem- pers ; with fome oily matter on the furface, like the feum which floats on fcorbutic urine. The ferum o{ blood depofits, in putrefaClion, a fediment re- fembling well-digefted pus, and changes to a faint olive green. A ferum, lo far putrefied as to become green, is perhaps never to be feen in the vefiels of living animals : but in dead bodies this ferum is to be diftinguifhed by the green colour which the flefh acquires in corrupting, in falted meats, this is commonly aferibed to the brine, but erroneoufly ; for that has no power of giving this co- lour, but only of qualifying the tafte, and in fome degree the ill effects of corrupted aliments. In foul ulcers, and other fores, where the ferum is left to ffagnate long, the matter is likewifc found of this colour, and is then always acrimonious. The putrefaction of animal fubftancesis prevented or retarded by all faline matters, even by the fixtand volatile alkaline falts, which have generally been fuppofed to produce a contrary effeCt. Of all C 2 the$