When brought to the hospital he conducted himself with propriety and order, and appeared to be in a state of recovery. On the second of May he was attacked with a diarrhœa which daily encreased, notwithstanding the medicines employed for its removal. His mind became violently agitated from the commencement of the diarrhœa, and it was found proper to secure him. On the 8th, dysenteric symptoms appeared, which continued to the 13th, when he died.

Appearances on Dissection.

The head was opened twenty-four hours after death. The pericranium was loosely attached to the scull, and the dura mater adhered but slightly to the internal surface of the cranium; there was a considerable quantity of water between the dura mater and tunica arachnoidea, this latter membrane (especially where the hemispheres meet) was of a milky whiteness, and generally so in the course of the veins of the pia mater. The glandulæ Pacchioni were very large and numerous. Between the tunica arachnoidea and pia mater there was much water; and from the lateral ventricles, which were uncommonly enlarged and distended, eight ounces of fluid were collected: the infundibulum was remarkably large: the membrane lining the cavity of the lateral ventricles had its veins very turgid: the consistence of the brain was softer than natural.

The fluid obtained from the brain in this case being very pellucid and abundant, it was submitted to some chemical tests in order to ascertain its composition.

An attempt of this kind had been made before; (vide Case 23) the present may be considered a small addition to our knowledge of this fluid, though by no means a satisfactory developement of its materials, according to the severity and precision of modern analysis.[11]

ANALYSIS OF THE FLUID.

Tincture of Galls, produced a white precipitate in
moderate quantity.
Lime Water, afforded a considerable quantity
of a white precipitate, which was
redissolved without effervescence
by muriatic acid.
Solution of Sulphat
of Copper.		 A drop of this solution added to
two drams of the brain fluid
tinged it with a pretty deep blue.

The presence of animal matter is inferred from the deposition produced by infusion of galls.

The precipitation by lime-water indicates the phosphoric acid.

And it appears from the blue tinge given to the fluid by the sulphat of copper, that ammonia or some of its combinations was contained.