Farther observations on the state of the blood after taking food.

  • Buchanan, Andrew, 1798-1882.
Date:
[1845]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Farther observations on the state of the blood after taking food. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    1/16
    7^ FARTHEK OBSERVATIONS (D ON AFTER TAKING FOOD. DY ANDREW BUCHANAN, M.D. PROFESSOR OF THE INSTITUTES OP MEDICINE IN THE UNIVERSITY OF GIASCOW.* Last year I read to the Society a memoir “ On the White or Opaque Serum of the Blood;” the object of which was to show, that after a meal consisting of various articles of food in common use the serum of the blood becomes white or otherwise discoloured, and con- cumstances. It could not be determined, from the observations then narrated, whether this discolouration be produced by every sort of food, or follow only certain kinds of it. The present communication is principally intended to supply that deficiency, by giving an account of the effects of various simple alimentary principles, or definite com- binations of such simple aliments upon the colour of the blood. Another object which I have kept in view is to give an account of a white substance different from that which gives the opaque colour to the serum of the blood, but which closely resembles it in appear- ance, and exists in the serum still more generally and in greater abundance. It first became known to me in the course of these investigations. It exists both in the opaquo serum and in that which is transparent, and is precipitated by supersaturating the liquid with common salt, or with sulphate of soda and certain other salts to bo hereafter mentioned. It is characterised by being immediately re- dissolvod on adding a little more water than sufficient to ro-dissolvo the excess of salt, while it is again precipitated by adding the salt to .supersaturation. tinues in that state for a period, longer or shorter according to cir- * Proceedings of the Glasgow Pliilosoiiliical Society, 5th March, 184.5.