168 Proceedings of the 



the gelatine was differently flavoured, so as to prevent its exciting 

 any feeling of nausea or disgust. During the six days which this 

 experiment lasted, M. Donne experienced a constant sensation 

 of sinking and feebleness, and on the sixth day found that he had 

 lost two pounds weight. The next week he substituted ordinary 

 meat broth for the gelatine, taking a litre and a half (about five or six 

 bowls), and from four to five ounces of bread daily ; during this 

 week he experienced no sensation of feebleness, and at the end of it 

 had regained a pound and a half of his lost weight. At the same 

 time M. Donne tried similar experiments on two dogs, giving the one, 

 gelatine mixed with a little bread, and offering the other nothing but 

 simple gelatine. The former at first refused it, but at length ate 

 daily as much as was equivalent to twelve or fifteen half litres of 

 good broth. On the sixth day the dog had lost four ounces in weight, 

 and was so voracious that he even greedily devoured some white 

 lead prepared for cleaning plate, and during the second week totally 

 refused gelatine, living only on about an ounce and a half of bread 

 which was given him per day. He ultimately terminated the expe- 

 riment by climbing to a great height, and taking possession of 

 a quantity of boiled beef which was supposed to be out of his reach. 

 The other dog could not be prevailed on to touch the gelatine, even 

 after being for five days totally without food. M. Donne", therefore, 

 considered it cruel to pursue the experiment further, and gave him 

 his usual food. From these circumstances M. Donne was induced 

 to doubt the nutritive qualities of gelatine, and begged the Academy 

 to appoint a committee to investigate the subject, which was accord- 

 ing done. At the succeeding meeting (13th June) M. D'Arcet ad- 

 dressed some observations to the Academy on the subject alluded to 

 by M. Donnd ; he stuted that butchers' meat contained, on the 

 average, in every 100 Ibs. 



Dry meat . . 24 Ibs. 

 Water ... 61 

 Bone .... 15 



100 



Bones contain, on an average, 



Earthy substance . 60 Ibs. 



Gelatine 30 



Fat 10 



100 



From this calculation it is evident that the 15 Ibs. of bone con 

 tained in every 100 Ibs. of meat would furnish -ffc of their weight, 

 or 6 Ibs. of animal substance, so that 100 Ibs. ot meat, which now 

 furnish but 24 Ibs of dry meat, miiiht, by rendering the gelatine 

 and fat of the bones available, supply thirty, or, in other words, four 

 oxen would furnish as much alimentary substance as is now obtained 

 from five. "With respect to the nutritive and salubrious qualities of 

 gelatine, he remarked, that the committee appointed by the Faculty 

 of Medicine, consisting of MM. Le Roux, Dubois, Pelletau, Du- 



