410 Mr Brown on the Mucilage of the Fuci. 



ware, with the view of ascertaining to what useful ends it 

 might be applied. I did so, and the following pages contain 

 an account of the results of my experiments. It would have 

 afforded me much pleasure if these had been more exact and 

 extended ; but if they subserve the end of suggestions to such 

 as have better opportunities and greater fitness, I shall have 

 obtained a higher reward than they deserve. 



Professor John says he found the Fucus vesiculosus to contain 

 of a red glairy matter and flesh-coloured extractive, with sul- 

 phate of soda and chloride of sodium, 40 pts. ; a peculiar acid ; 

 a greasy resin, 20 pts. ; sulphate of soda, with a little muriate, 

 60.3 ; sulphate of soda, with much sulphate of magnesia, and a 

 little phosphate of lime, 128.7 pts. ; traces of iroti and magnesia 

 and albumen qfthejiici, 780 pts. These parts are fractional of 

 1000. Gaultier Claubry also states, that, amongst other ingre- 

 dients, he found a great quantity of '■'' albumen of the fuci'' in 

 the vesiculosus. This name implicates an error, on the detec- 

 tion of which the rationale of what follows is dependent. Dr 

 Duncan junior, in his Dispensatory, hinted his suspicion of it, 

 and, in the case of the Fucus endivicefolius^ confirmed it. The 

 principle, which John and Claubry call albumen, possesses not 

 one of the properties of albumen. It is coagulated by none of 

 the agents which coagulate albumen ; nor, indeed, is it coagu- 

 lable at all. It is precipitated by none of the substances which 

 throw down albumen, and it falls with some which leave that 

 principle in solution. 



I have seen it spoken of as of a gelatinous nature, but as it 

 is not thrown down by tannin, this is inconsistent. 



they approve of the suggestions offered in the paper, yet they are of opinion 

 that Mr Brown has not adduced sufficient proofs that the decoction of the 

 fuci can be so easily freed of its peculiar taste as he states ; and that, even 

 if it were, by the processes mentioned, it would require to be proved tliat 

 they could be conducted so easily, and so economically, as to make it of 

 consequence to use the fuci for the purposes proposed. 



They would therefore recommend the farther prosecution of the subject, 

 and hope that Mr Brown Avill be induced to undertake it. 



Aw. FYrE, M. D., Convene); 

 James Hunter, M. D. 

 M. Ponton. 

 ]Edinbuegh, 24«/t Majf 1837. 



