ANALYSIS OF SOME ANCIENT BONES. £ j 



tnilar to the tint observed in some decayed timber. This 

 last mentioned substance, being dissolved in alcohol, likewise 

 communicates to it a deep purple colour; but there is this 

 dirl'ererence, it becomes green again on the addition of an 

 acid, while that of bones, which is turned green by alkalis, 

 has its red colour restored by acids. 



The mutter remaining after the action of alcohol on this Membrane. 

 red colour, that is to say the membranes, being subjected to 

 the action of heat in a platina crucible, emitted a fetid va- 

 pour, then burned, and left only a few grains of sand. 



Without pretending absolutely to determine the origin of Colouring 

 this red matter, Messrs. Fourcroy and Vauquelin are of opi- n ^ tter SU PP°- 

 nion, that it proceeds from the decomposition of the animal fromdecom- 

 substance. In fact we perceive many organized substances p ^'^ n h 

 produce by their spontaneous decomposition, or putrefaction, stance, 

 colours that did not exist in them before. They themselves 

 have described a colour, developed by the putrid decompo- 

 sition of the gluten of wheat, which appears very similar to 

 that of these ancient bones. 



Exp. 3. As to the white shining crystals mentioned The crvsta i s 



above, and found both on the surface of the bones and be- wer e pboa- 



iL . , . njr -c, j , 7 ,. phateoflime 



tween their laminae, Messrs. r ourcroy and vauquelin satis- zuA of magne . 



tisfied themselves, that they were formed of lime, phospho- sia- 

 ric acid, and a little magnesia ; and consequently that they 

 were phosphates of lime and magnesia. The lamellar 

 structure of these crystals, their brilliancy, and their flexi- 

 bility between the teeth, had led those chemists at first to 

 suspect, that they were sulphate of lime ; though they were 

 puzzled to explain the origin of the sulphuric acid. But 

 having separated with great care a gramme of these crystals, 

 they put them into diluted nitric acid, which dissolved them 

 speedily and easily : and this solution was not precipitated 

 by nitrate of barytes, which must inevitably have happened, 

 had the crystals been sulphate of lime ; but a copious pre- 

 cipitate was thrown down by oxalate of ammonia, and by 

 ammonia alone. This salt fuses before the blowpipe much 

 more easily than sulphate of lime ; it diffuses, when kept long 

 in fusion, a phosphoric light; and forms a semitransparent 

 glass, which sulphate of lime does not. 



Thoroughly convinced by these experiments, that the mat- To , ccount f r 



ter 



