ON ALBUMEN AND OTHER ANIMAL FLUIDS. 35 



water; one of these was tilled with a mixture of equal parts from the sah'Ym 

 of saliva and pure water; this was connected with the other b ? elecmci *y« 

 two, containing pure water, by filaments of moistened cot- 

 ton. The water in one of the cups was rendered positive, 

 that in the other negative, by a Voltaic battery of one hun- 

 dred and twenty four-inch double plates, charged with a so- 

 lution of nitro-muriatieaeid, in the proportion of one part of 

 the mixed acid to thirty parts of water*. By continuing this 

 process, 1 hoped to decompose the saline ingredients of the 

 saliva, to collect the acid matter in the positive, and the al- 

 kaline matter in the negative cup, and thus to leave the mu- 

 cus and albumen in the centre vessel (free from the salts 

 which they contain in their natural state), and to have sepa- 

 rated them by boiling distilled water, which would then have 

 afforded a solution of pure mucus. 



^Vhe:l the action of the battery had been continued for white suV 

 abont ten minutes, a considerable quantity of a white sub- stance at the 

 stance surrounded, and adhered to, the cotton on the nega- ne S auvesi e - 

 tive side of the circuit, whereas on the' positive side no such 

 effect had taken place. 



I could not at first account for this appearance, conceiving 

 that, if it depended on the coagulation of albumen held in 

 solution in the saliva, it would have taken place at the posi- 

 tive pole, in consequence of the acid there separated. 



To ascertain this point, an experiment was made on the white of an 

 albumen of an egg. egg 



When the conductors from the same battery were brought exposed to^i- 

 within two inches of each other in this fluid, an immediate infraction. 

 and rapid coagulation took place at the negative wire, while 

 only a thin film of albumen collected at the positive wire, 

 where its appearance was readily accounted for, by the sepa- 

 ration of a little acid, which, reacting on the albumen, would 

 render it solid; but the cause of the abundant coagulation 

 at the negative pole was not so obvious. 



This result I mentioned to Mr. Davy, who immediately The fluidity of 



offered an explanation of it, by supposing the fluidity of al- a!bumen P er * 

 i ii i #• ii i. • •*, na P s owing to 



bumen to depend upon the presence or alkaline matter, the an alkali. 



separation of which, at the negative pole, would cause it to 



* It was conceived, that this electrical power, though sufficient for the 

 (decomposition of the salts, would not materially affect the animal matter. 



assume 



