1*52 On the Efecl of Madder Root 



of the rej^nemted bone was filled with itltir- 

 row, and in every respect performed the office 

 of that, for which it w^as a substitute. Tliis 

 ihay b^ considered as a general outline of the 

 progressive changes, which take place during 

 tlie regeneration of a cylitidrieal bone, in a 

 yoiing animal, such as a pigeon, or chicken ; 

 and the same process is frequently performed 

 ih the human body, when, from some internal 

 cause, the life of a bone is destroyed. These 

 changes involve many interesting particulars ; 

 but the circumstance most immediately con- 

 nected with the subject of this paper is, that 

 although the shaft of the bone required three 

 weeks for its renewal, yet in seveh days the 

 osseous system generally had acquired a bright 

 red. Now if w^e explain this change in co- 

 lour according to the common opinion of ab- 

 s'orption of the white, and deposition of the 

 red osseous matter,* we must necessarily draw 



* The common opinion of physiologists, <vi(h regard to 

 this curious fact, is, that when a bone becomes red, 

 during the cNhibirion of madder root, the white osseous 

 particles which composed it, have Jbeen ehiirely remov^tl 

 by absorption and replaced by new osseous matter of a 

 red colour : and when a bone assumes its natural colour, 

 these red pariiclfs have been removed and replaced by 

 «i'hile. It » his be the fact, it necessarily foll<)v\ s, that a:i 

 aumiai has at len.l fifiy-two new sets of bones in a year ; 



