Hydatids from the left lung, subsequently to the occurrence of typhoid fever, complicated with double pneumonia.

  • Black, Cornelius, 1822-1887.
Date:
[1853]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Hydatids from the left lung, subsequently to the occurrence of typhoid fever, complicated with double pneumonia. 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.

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    of gelatine in half a drachm of water, threw down a copious precipitate. On evaporating the other half drachm of water in which the hydatids had been boiled, a small quantity of white, or brownish-white solid residue remained, which, how- ever, was too small to afford satisfactory evidence, by the usual chemical re-agents, of its protein character. The hydatids were next boiled for half an hour in alcohol, which was then set aside to cool. On cooling, no trace of fat was observed on the surface; and on evaporating the alcohol, but a slight trace of extractive matter remained. During the immersion of the hydatids in the boiling alcohol their bulk was reduced to one-third. The hydatids in question were now thrown into 4 drachms of pure acetic acid, in which they immediately began to swell, and to become more transparent. After having boiled in this fluid for half an hour, they were removed, and the fluid was slowly evaporated. When half this fluid had been dispersed the remainder became milky, and immediately afterwards, under the continuance of heat, a thin pellicle, which subse- quently broke into small flocculi, appeared on the surface of the acid. On exhausting the acid by evaporation, a white powder, weighing a little less than half a grain, was left, which redis- solved in boiling acetic acid, exactly in the same manner as the coagulated albumen of the egg under similar circum- stances. The remaining portions of the hydatids were next subjected to the action of liquor potass®, which, aided by heat, effected their complete disintegration, and acquired the colour of a rather strong solution of burnt sugar, thus demonstrating the characteristic action of the solvent on fibrine. The presence of the protein compounds was further shown by the addition of strong nitric acid to a fresh hydatid, which became yellow at the point of contact from the formation of the xantho- proteic acid. Several hydatids were incinerated, and the ashes thus left, were digested in warm distilled water for a short time, after which nitrate of silver and chloride of barium were added to separate portions of the fluid. These, by the precipitates