An experimental enquiry concerning the causes which have generally been said to produce putrid diseases / By William Alexander.

  • William Alexander
Date:
1771
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An experimental enquiry concerning the causes which have generally been said to produce putrid diseases / By William Alexander. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    being taken up in the morning it was changed into a dark green colour. From thefe experiments, as well as from the fmell of putrid e»:rement, it feems pretty evident that it contains -[ a confiderable quantity of volatile IJ alkali, which the learned Sir John ( Pringle has in feveral of his intereft- ing experiments plainly proved to be an antifeptic*. And this being the cafe, I cannot fee how excrement can be reckoned one of the caufes of fuch /I difeafes as are of a putrid nature, and Iwhich mull confequently derive their j origin fi'om a putrid caufe. ' But fhould we allow that the foecal matter has fome degree of feptic power, we cannot even then with any appearance of reafon conclude from thence that it fhould be more pro- dudive of putrid difeafes in camps than in crowded cities, efpecially when we confider that it is always at fome diftance from the lines, and re¬ gularly covered up with earth every two or three days; whereas in feveral * Experiment iii. Appendix. crowded
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