IF they who espouse a contrary Opinion, should suggest that Blood may be drawn from a Tumour imperfectly suppurated, and from thence conclude, that its Origin was from the Arterial and Venal Fluids; it may be readily answered, that on opening a fresh Tumour, a bloody Ichor will flow out, because in the Operation some Blood-Vessels will be cut; whereas when the Tumour is in Maturation, the Quantity of Humour there collected obstructs the Blood from flowing to it through its proper Vessels; and which Humour, altho’ in it self at first more thin and crude, yet by the Heat of its neighbouring Parts, and its own natural Disposition, it will afterwards thicken, and change into a white Colour of a laudable Consistence.
THIRDLY, To the foregoing it may be added, that so far as the Blood partakes of a saline Quality, by so much the less will it be disposed to change into Matter; for the same Reason that Sea-Water cannot be boiled into a Gelly; for Salt adds to the Fluxility of Fluids, and thereby prevents Incrassation, unless in those Instances where they of themselves chrystallize, by Means of an Incapacity of the Menstruum to keep them in Solution, which is foreign to the Case before us.
LASTLY, Nothing is more known in Nature, than that Blood, by what Means soever extravasated, if it cannot get back again into the Vessels, will, after some Stagnation, run for the most Part into Grume; so that when a Fluctuation requires opening, little else than a coagulated Blood flows out: And if any one please to receive the Blood from an opened Vein into a warm Porringer, and afterwards place it in a luted Vessel upon a Sand Heat, as near as possible equal to that which is natural, he will find all Labour lost in endeavouring to produce thereby any Appearances of Pus in it, either from its Colour,
Smell, or any other of its requisite Properties.
WHY then may we not conclude with some others of great Note, that Pus is generated immediately from the nutritious Juice, not in the Arteries and Veins, but in other Vessels; in which Juice all the requisite Properties are to be found, as a Disposition to grow thick, without Smell, white, light, and of a smooth Consistence; and I take it to be very probable, that the Pus is made from hence by the Assistance of the natural Heat, and the Conveyance of it by the forementioned Vessels into the Glands whereinto they are complicated, and not by any Means from the Venal Blood, and much less from the Arterial.
BUT least I should seem to digress too far; the Sanies thrown out by a Buboe is very different, sometimes thin and ichorous, at others thicker and more laudable, as in Abscesses that are not malignant; in Respect of its Smell, it is sometimes so extreamly fetid, as not to be endured by the Nose; but always the more plentifully it discharges, the better does the Patient
fare afterwards: Nature finds a Vent this open Way to disengage her self from a pernicious Enemy.
THE Number of Buboes was uncertain, sometimes one only appeared, at others, which was most commonly, two broke out at once; nay, there were met with Instances wherein all the Glands capable of it were tumified. Many Buboes at a Time infallibly demonstrated the Aggravation, and Dispersion of the virulent Taint; and on the contrary, but few shewed the Poison to be not so prevalent, more contracted, and brought to a narrower Compass for Expulsion.
The Places, and Manner of their Eruption was very uncertain, sometimes one would appear in the right Axilla, and another on the contrary Side of the Groin; these Tumours would likewise sometimes last but a Day, and again insensibly vanish, that is, always when profuse Sweat arose; but whensoever they were drawn in again by any Mismanagement or Casualty, they would appear and vanish again many Times, and be very difficult afterwards to be fixed; and sometimes when they could be brought
to Suppuration, and a plentiful Discharge, they would renew again, as we shall hereafter have further Occasion to observe.