CHEMICAL SCIENCE. 193 



of albumen. The evident results of the decomposition are carbonic 

 acid and water. These are the only two that have been^ proved and 

 attempted to be estimated ; but the estimates are unreliable, partly 

 on account of the slowness of the action, and the length of time over 

 which the experiment is necessarily prolonged, and partly because 

 ozone acts energetically on the caoutchouc connections of the appa- 

 ratus employed. What becomes of the nitrogen is quite uncertain, 

 whether it is evolved as nitrogen gas, or, what is more _ probable, 

 helps to form some secondary product, such as leucin, tyrosin, etc. 



If the blood, instead of being acted on by ether or oil, is shaken 

 with ozonized air, the same changes take place ; but they require a 

 longer time, from twelve to eighteen or twenty days, and the destruc- 

 tion of organic matter is not eventually so complete. If the corpus- 

 cles be separated from the remaining constituents of the blood, and 

 dissolved in water, the solution becomes in every respect like the 

 unaltered blood. It is not so with the serum without the corpuscles. 

 If the serum be acted on by the ozonized ether or turpentine, it is 

 rendered turbid, and a slight coagulum is thrown down; but no 

 perfect oxidation can ever be effected. If the serum is acted on by 

 ozonized air, it absorbs ozone rapidly at first ; it is decolorized, and 

 deposits a sediment; but even after many weeks there is still a 

 considerable unaltered sediment, the albumen never being so com- 

 pletely destroyed as in similar experiments with blood. A pure solu- 

 tion of albumen from an egg is, indeed, acted on more completely : 

 a very considerable deposit of coagula takes place, and the solution 

 changes color, becoming greenish-yellow, as though the change was 

 due, partially at least, to ordinary decomposition. Afterwards, the 

 coagula redissolve, the fluid clears, and finally, with the exception 

 of a small deposit, it is found to be free from all trace of albumen. 

 But although the action is eventually nearly as complete as in blood, 

 it requires a much longer time ; in fact, it is rarely completed under 

 four or five weeks, and is accompanied, as I have already noticed, 

 with some evidences of ordinary decomposition or putrefaction : where- 

 as, the change of blood is much more energetic and rapid, and, if a 

 due supply of ozone is kept up, is never accompanied by any signs 

 of putrefaction. These differences are due to the hsematin of the 

 blood-corpuscles, which, as is well known, is the great absorbent 

 of oxygen in the body. Now, it is stated, that the blood-corpuscles 

 will absorb much more ozonized oxygen than unozonized ; but it is, 

 in fact, uncertain whether this is due to a simple power of absorption 

 and retention, or whether it is not rather due to the fact that they 

 are continually giving up the ozone for the work of destruction, L e., 

 oxidation of themselves and the surrounding organic matters, a work 

 which ordinary oxygen out of the body is quite incompetent to per- 

 form. 



The deportment of blood with ozone suggests a few questions of 

 considerable interest. First, it would be important to determine 

 whether the change of color is of the same nature, and due to the 

 same cause, as the change which takes place during circulation in the 

 systemic capillaries; in other words, whether the presence of ozone 

 is the cause of the dark color of venous blood. This question involves 

 the preliminary decision of two points at least : First, whether there 



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