186 Foreign and Miscellaneous Intelligence. 



3. USE OP NITROGEN IN RESPIRATION CYANOGEN IN THE BLOOD. 



Dr. Rich, Professor of Chemistry in the Vermont Academy of . 

 Medicine, has put forth a view of the part which nitrogen performs 

 in respiration, to produce cyanogen, which then exists in the blood 

 as cyanide of iron. He quotes the observations of others, by which 

 the nitrogen of the atmosphere is shewn to be absorbed in respi- 

 ration, and also occasionally given out again in the lungs, and he 

 thinks there is no more difficulty in conceiving that it should enter 

 into the blood in the pulmonary vessels, and combine with the carbon 

 in the blood, just as oxygen does. Cyanogen would probably result; 

 and then, referring to the ordinary processes by which Prussian 

 blue is obtained from dried blood, Dr. Rich seems to consider it 

 just as likely that the process should merely transfer the cyanogen 

 already existing, as that they should cause its formation from the 

 carbon and nitrogen present. This view appears to him to explain 

 the difference which has existed amongst chemists relative to the 

 presence of iron in the blood. Englehart's process of detecting iron 

 in the fluid blood, or rather in the colouring matter of the blood, 

 namely, by passing chlorine through it for a time, and then testing 

 the clear solution, he conceives to depend upon the chlorine taking 

 away the cyanogen from the iron, and so bringing the latter into a 

 state indicative by the usual tests *. 



Dr. Rich has not had the opportunity of supporting his views by 

 any experiment, although he suggests some. We cannot help ob- 

 serving that the idea of the cyanogen obtained by the Prussian blue 

 maker being merely that which pre-existed in the blood, appears to 

 be a very violent one. The quantity he can obtain from dry 

 blood is enormous, many times surpassing the weight of the co- 

 louring matter in it. Further, the colourless serum will yield plenty ; 

 and now, in fact, blood is but seldom resorted to for it, but hoofs, 

 horns, and other sources of animal matter, are used for the purpose. 



4. ACTION OF THE PILE ON LIVING ANIMAL SUBSTANCES. 



Being desirous of testing by experiment the opinion often enter- 

 tained and advanced, that secretions in the living body are the result 

 of electrical decomposition, M. C. Matteucci applied the poles of 

 a voltaic pile containing fifteen pairs of plates, to two wounds made 

 on the lateral parts of the abdomen of a rabbit, so as to leave the 

 peritoneum bare. The poles were of gold, and it was soon found 

 that a yellow alkaline liquor, containing many bubbles of air, col- 

 lected at the negative pole, whilst a yellow liquid with few bubbles 

 and slightly acid, collected at the positive pole. When the positive 

 pole was copper, it became covered with a green coat slightly acid ; 

 the same results were obtained by acting upon other parts of the 



* Silliman's Journal, xviii. 52. 



