Pulmonary tuberculosis : etiological and therapeutic, based on an experimental investigation / by R.W. Philip.

  • Robert William Philip
Date:
1891
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Pulmonary tuberculosis : etiological and therapeutic, based on an experimental investigation / by R.W. Philip. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/72 (page 5)
    (7) The sputum can readily be subjected artificially to similar conditions outside the body as within the chest. (8) Much of the experimental work already carried out with reference to tuberculosis has been done by the subcu- taneous and intra-venous injection of unaltered phthisical sputum. (Villemin, Chauveau, Bimi, Veza, Semmer, Tappeiner, etc.) (9) Collateral evidence, from the side of some ptomaine investigations, seems to imply that the ready access of oxygen to the centre of ptomainic production may aid in their development. After approaching the subject in a variety of ways, with a remarkable constancy of results, I thought it best to institute a series of experiments, with extracts obtained from different phthisical sputa, by such methods as could be least open to objection in respect of complications introduced from without. The sputum was carefully collected in a clean vessel, preferably a closed jar with central hole for the entrance of the expectorated material, such as is used in some of the Edinburgh Eoyal Infirmary Wards. In the selection of the patient the greatest care was exercised, (a) Only such cases were made use of as showed undoubted signs of advancing phthisis, (b) No case was accepted where the temperature chart did not record a more or less persistent elevation, (c) After the first two or three examinations it was found best to restrict the selection to subjects where possible impurities from smoking were absent. Similar care was taken in the selection of the sputum. (a) The sputum was rejected when any foreign admixture was present, such as vomited materials, (b) It was rejected when saliva was present in appreciable amount, (c) The reaction of the sputum was tested, and only such admitted as gave an acid or neutral reaction. This last condition was found always associated with a peculiar odour, which may be regarded as sui generis, (d) The presence, and approximately the relative