14 Wl AIBUMEN AND OTHER ANIMAL FLUIDS. 



and to ascertain how far it might be capable, of conversion 

 into modification* of gelatine and albumen. 

 Saliva agitated J# Sallva the g^ sour<:eo f muclls t o which I directed 



vntn pore wa- 

 ter & filtered, my attention. 



In order to separate the albumen, which Dr. Bostock's 

 analysis has shown it to contain*, it was agitated for a short 

 time with an equal quantity of pure water ; the solution was 

 Solution con- t ^ en boiled and filtered. I considered the clear fluid, which 

 waiter. na ^ passed the filter, as a solution of nearly pure mucus; 



but found, on applying to it the tests of nitrate of silver, 

 and acetate of lead, that it still contained a very considera- 

 ble proportion of saline matter. The precipitate consisted 

 of muriate and phosphate of silver and lead, in combination 

 with a little animal matter, the odour of which was percep- 

 tible on exposing it to heat after it had been washed and 

 dried. 

 Saliva contain- One thousand grains of saliva afforded, by careful evapo- 

 phosphateof ration in a water bath, a residuum weighing one hundred 

 lime and mu- and eighty grains, from which twenty grains of saline mat- 

 nate so a. ^ ei ^ rons j s ti n g of phosphate of lime and muriate of soda, 



were obtained by incineration. 

 Mucus of the o. The mucus from the trachea, and that of the oyster 

 the oyster ° were next examined; but here the proportion of saline mat- 

 ter was greater than in the former case, although no traces 

 of albumen could be detected by the usual tests of heat, al- 

 cohol, and acids. 



Testsof mucus Finding, therefore, that the reagents employed to detect 

 act on the salts. . A .... .. ,. , . , . * *; , 



mucusj act principally upon trie salts which it contains, and 



not merely upon the secretion itself, it became an object of 

 some importance to find out a method of depriving it of its 

 saline ingredients, by such means as should not affect the 

 mucus. Decomposition by electricity immediately occur- 

 red to me, as the most likely means of attaining the object 

 I had in view. 

 Attempt to p or ^is purpose, I procured three glass cups, each capa- 



ble of holding rather more than a measured half ounce of 



* Nicholson's Journal, Vol. XIV, pags 149. 



f Nitrate of silver and acetate of lead. Vide Thomson's System of 

 Chemistry, Vol. V, jagt 500, 3d edition j and Nicholson's Journal 

 Xl-251. 



water 



