A Letter from Mr Bussiere, F R. S. concerning a Substance Cough'd up Resembling the Vessels of the Lungs

I. A Letter from Mr Bussiere, F R S concerning a Substance cough'd up resembling the vessels of the Lungs. SIR, Here is an observation which will prove how useful the opening of dead bodies is to Physicians and Surgeons. A Boy of 5 years old dy'd at Kensington of a dry Cough and Consumption; a year before he dy'd he was troubled with a dry'd Cough, which continu'd ever since, spitting now and then a little quantity of blood; ten or twelve days before he dyed, his Nurse took notice of some thick skin, as she said, he spit out. His Physician having examined one of them, found it had the consistence and shape of a Vessel, which made him think it might perhaps be some Vessel of the Lungs, such as Tulpius mentioneth of some that have spit out the Veins of their Lungs, (Tulpii observationes lib. 2. observ. 12. & 14.) The Child being dead, I was sent by his Relations to open the body. I began by the Abdomen, in which I found nothing of moment, except that the Omentum was quite destitute of fat, so were likewise all the parts of the body, the glandules of the Mesenterium were hardned and blackish. Then I did open the Breast, the parts whereof did look at first very sound, tho in the left side of the Lungs I found a little purulent Sanies, after which I did disject the Trachea Arteria, the inside of which I found incrustated with a slimy membrane, which frock off from the Trachea, and the Branches in the Lungs, insomuch, that that Pellicula made a perfect Vessel from the Larinx to the very extremities of the Bronchies, of which it came off very easily without breaking either the Trunk or the Branches, just as you see it in Fig. 1. I did observe that it did adhere to the inward coat of the Trachea, only by some small Filaments which were so tender that they broke off easily, which made me think the production of that extraordinary Vessel was nothing but the mucilaginous humour which is continually discharged by the Glandules of the Trachea, which being grown more clammy by the distemper, was reduced to a kind of Jelly by the dryness of the air, which dryness not permitting the spitting it out, incrustated the inside of the Trachea and Bronchies, and growing thicker, was at last shaken off by the violent fit of Coughing the Child was some time taken with, and then was renew'd again by the succeeding Mucus. Having taken this new vessel out of the lungs, I did put it in hot water, to try if it could be dissolved by it; but it did resist, and I brought it to town, and took the figure of it something lesser than it was naturally. The vessels of the lungs, that is, the Trachea and Bronchies, the pulmonary arteries and veins were as whole as could be. This, I hope, will undeceive them, who upon the report or testimony of some Authors, believe that a man may spit out the blood vessels of his lungs. See Fig. 1. See a like case No. 235. p. 780. in these Transactions.