An inaugural dissertation : being an attempt to disprove the doctrine of the putrefaction of the blood of living animals. Submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost; the trustees, and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania, for the degree of Doctor of Medicine; on the 8th. day of May, A.D. 1793. By Adam Seybert, of Philadelphia; honorary member of the Philadelphia, and member of the American, medical societies. [One line from Leviticus].

Date:: M,DCC,XCIII. [1793]

Credit: An inaugural dissertation : being an attempt to disprove the doctrine of the putrefaction of the blood of living animals. Submitted to the examination of the Rev. John Ewing, S.T.P. provost; the trustees, and medical professors of the University of Pennsylvania, for the degree of Doctor of Medicine; on the 8th. day of May, A.D. 1793. By Adam Seybert, of Philadelphia; honorary member of the Philadelphia, and member of the American, medical societies. [One line from Leviticus]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

40/80 page 40

or other ferment fhould get into the veffels and mix with it ? Thus they fuppofed the fmall-pox, mealies, and other eruptive difeafes to be produced. Thefe men always overlooked the vital principle, which exifts in the one fubftance, and not in the other •, and here in my opinion the material difference lies for we know that if the other requifite circumftances be duly ob- ferved, it is only neceflary to deftroy life, in order to bring on a putrefaction in the animal. I think, from what I have flated, there is ground for believing thatt he blood cannot putrefy in the living animal; but the dcduftionj of reafon, however juft and true, the inferences are not to be folely relied upon, when the better evidence of fub- Jflantial faCts—and of faCts more immediately in point thaa the preceding ones, can be had. To afcertain beyond a doubt whether the blood could be excited to a putrid fermentation, by injefting putrid matters into the blood-veffels, became an important and ef- fential defideratum. With this view I made the follow- ing Experiments, which were performed en healthy Dogs. The operation of injeftion was always executed on one or the other of the extremities of the animal. An incifion was made, and the vein was laid bare, which was for fome diftance difTeCled free from connexion with the adjacent parts. An opening was then made into its cavity, fuffici- ciently large to admit a curved tube, which was retained in it by means of a ligature palTed round the veflel. The tube was made fo as to fcrew on the mouth of a common pewter fyringe. i

Licence and re-use

Contents