510 ANNUAL RECORD OF SCIENCE AND INDUSTRY. 



parts of dry gelatine saved, in this way, 84 parts of dry al- 

 bumen, this saving being much greater than that effected by 

 the ingestion of fats or carbohydrates. Moreover, this saving 

 can not be carried beyond a certain limit, some albumen be- 

 ing always decomposed, even when fat is given with the gel- 

 atine. No deposition of the gelatine takes place in the 

 body : the whole of it is rapidly decomposed, all of its 

 nitrogen being excreted within twenty-four hours after in- 

 gestion. Even the gelatigenous tissues themselves are not 

 formed from this ingested gelatine, but from gelatine which 

 is derived from albuminous bodies by retrograde metamor- 

 phosis. Voit explains this preserving action of gelatine by 

 distingui^shing two sorts of albumen in the organism circu- 

 lating or movable, and organ or fixed albumen. The former 

 is capable of ready transformation, while the latter is not de- 

 composed as such, but must first be transformed into the for- 

 mer. Gelatine acts to lessen the conversion of the organ al- 

 bumen into circulating albumen, but not being able to replace 

 the decomposed organ albumen, nor to construct new organs 

 or tissues, it can not entirely prevent albumen transformation. 

 When given in the food, therefore, along with albumen, it 

 decreases the amount of this substance, which undergoes 

 decomposition, and hence lessens the amount necessary to 

 supply the needs of the body. Zeitschrift fur ^iologie, and 

 21 A, March 24, 1873, 284. 



IMPEOVEMENT IN EIFLES. 



The English Mechanic^ in referring to the new method of 

 making rifles lately described in its columns, in which the 

 rifling is confined to about six inches of the barrel near the 

 muzzle, informs us that this was tested lately at Wimbledon, 

 with results which render further inquiry desirable. While 

 the accuracy of the shooting is, if any thing, improved, the 

 recoil appears to be reduced to a minimum. 18 A^ July 25, 

 187e3, 478. 



