This disposition of the blood to separate into its constituent parts is evinced in a very marked degree in one class of secondary affections. Extensive effusions of serum, lymph, and pus, mixed in different proportions, will take place in the serous cavities of the body, and become infiltrated in the cellular membrane, accompanied with very slight indications of inflammatory action. The colouring matter of the blood will also sometimes become effused with its other parts; but when this is the case, the blood will be found to have lost its coagulating power: in this respect presenting a direct contrast to the effusion from a healthy wounded vessel. The lymph deposited will be found lying in unorganized flakes, wanting its usual adhesive properties, and very slightly attached to parts, presenting little or no increased vascularity. The rapid manner in which these depositions take place, shows that they are separated from the blood without undergoing any very elaborate process. In this condition of the system, any organ upon which the disease falls, may rapidly become disorganized, or may readily mortify; and, after death, a tendency to rapid decomposition will be manifested. The veins on the surface of the body may frequently be traced as dark blue lines, as though the skin covering them were stained by the colouring matter of the blood. The lungs and other organs may, under these circumstances, be found in every grade of disorganization, till they present all the characteristics of gangrene: even the peculiar fetor which accompanies mortification of the lung, will, in some instances, be present. A tendency to the formation of petechial spots may also be observed in different parts; and even the organs which do not appear to have been the peculiar seat of the disease, will be found to have lost their consistency, and to break down upon comparatively slight pressure. Mr. Hunter found, that in proportion as the blood retained the power of coagulation, it had the power of resisting putrefaction; and conversely, we observe that, in this class of cases, the deficiency of the former is accompanied in a marked manner by the absence of the latter. The two conditions of the blood which have now been mentioned, appear to bear a direct relation to the two classes of post-mortem appearances, observed in cases of secondary inflammations: the first being generally connected with congestion of different organs during the first stages of the disease, the second with extensive effusions, accompanied with comparatively little vascularity.