the Bile of the Sheep. 367 



and digested with animal charcoal : when decolorized, it was 

 ao-ain filtered, the alcohol distilled off, and the residue pow- 

 dered, exhausted with aether, and perfectly dried at 212° F. 



In this state it was almost white, having a slight tinge of 

 buff. 



The ash was prepared in a muffle at a low red heat. 



I. 3-02 grains of the dried bile gave 0-305 ash =10-09 per 

 cent. ; 4--83gave 0-48 ash =9-93 per cent.; 4-41, charred and 

 washed in the manner proposed by Rose, gave 045 ash = 10*20 

 per cent. 



The amount of chloride of sodium present in the prepared 

 bile was very small ; thus — 



II. The 0-48 of ash from the 4-83 bile (1.) yielded 0-04 chlo- 

 ride of silver =0*43 per cent, of chloride of sodium ; 6*83 of 

 the bile gave 0'05 chloride of silver =038 per cent, of the 

 chloride of sodium ; the soda remaining, determined as sul- 

 phate, amounted to 0*99 =6-32 per cent. 



III. 4-045 bile burnt with chromate of lead, yielded 8*94 

 carbonic acid and 3-275 water, = carbon 60-07, and hydrogen 

 8-97 per cent. 



IV. 4*005 bile gave 8*845 carbonic acid and 3*20 water, 

 = carbon 60*22, and hydrogen 8*87 per cent. 



V. 3'62 gave 2*29 ammonio-chloride of platinum = 3*97 

 nitrogen per cent. 



Hence 



I. II. 



Carbon 60*07 6022 



Hydrogen 8*97 8*87 



Nitrogen 3*97 



Oxygen ..... 20*29 



Soda 6-32 



Chloride of sodium . . 0'38 0*43 



100*00 



In all the specimens of the ash of bile which I have ex- 

 amined, on solution in water and the addition of nitrate of silver, 

 the yellow colour resulting from the formation of the tribasic 

 phosphate of silver was distinctly perceptible in admixture 

 with the white colour of the chloride. The yellow precipitate 

 was dissolved by a drop of nitric acid. Whether the phos- 

 phate thus indicated arises from the solubility of the phosphate 

 of soda existing in the bile prior to the separation of the mu- 

 cus in an alcoholic solution of bile, or to the oxidation by the 

 heat of a certain amount of phosphorus existing in the elec- 

 tro-negative constituent of this fluid, and its subsequent com- 

 bination with the soda, I have not determined. 



