and Gmelin's Observations on the Acids of the Stomach. 121 



nation, if possible, of putting the matter at rest. With this 

 view a number of animals were fed in various ways ; that is to 

 say, on substances both natural and unnatural to them, and the 

 contents of their stomachs subjected ,to analysis. The ex- 

 amination was conducted in the, most rigorous manner, and 

 varied in every possible way that I could devise ; and up to 

 the period at which my paper was sent to the Royal Society, 

 I completely satisfied myself, that in every instance the acid 

 present was the muriatic acid and no other, at least in any 

 appreciable quantity. Now it was in the knowledge thus pre- 

 viously acquired, and not at random, that the method pro- 

 posed was founded ; and among a variety that were tried, the 

 one in question was ultimately chosen as comprehending every 

 point that had then occurred to me. If it be objected that 

 these preliminary experiments ought to have been given, I can 

 only say, that I did not at the time think this necessary, nor 

 do I now. The muriatic acid was not a new substance, nor one 

 difficult to be identified : besides, such a preliminary inquiry 

 seemed to be sufficiently indicated by the method proposed ; 

 for who would ever think of proposing a formal method of 

 analysis, involving the quantities of substances, without deter- 

 mining beforehand what those substances were ? Further, my 

 paper was intended to be little more than a simple announce- 

 ment of an important fact, which, before it could be established, 

 I well knew must be corroborated by other experience than 

 mine ; and lastly, something must be ascribed to a sort of in- 

 nate antipathy to long-winded dissertations, which is too apt 

 to cause me to err on the side of brevity. 



Messrs. T. and G. observe, that considering my method 

 quite perfect, I infer from it the absence of all other acids, ex- 

 cept that of the muriatic acid in the gastric fluids. To this I 

 answer, that under the circumstances to which it was applied, 

 I considered it then, and do still, as quite perfect: and as 

 the residuum after combustion could not have been neutral 

 if the acid had been of a destructible nature, because the 

 quantity of potash required to saturate the free acid was 

 more than sufficient to decompose the whole of the muriate 

 of ammonia present, — the argument even in this point of view 

 was strictly correct, though acknowledged to be imperfect if 

 applied generally *. This argument was given, because it was 



the 



* Messrs. T. and G. will, I trust, give me credit when I assert that I was 

 perfectly aware of all the chemical objections they have raised, and many 

 more to the same effect ; and never should have thought of applying the 

 method in question in a new case when the nature of the acid was un- 

 known, and particularly in the case of a destructible acid in conjunction 

 with the muriate of ammonia. The fact was, that I detected free muriatic 



New Series. Vol. 4. No. 20. Aug. 1828. R acid 



