42 IDENTITY OF ANIMAL 



mical composition, in the ultimate proportion of the 

 organic elements, they are identical. 



This conclusion has lately been beautifully con- 

 firmed by a distinguished physiologist (Denis), who 

 has succeeded in converting fibrine into albumen, 

 that is, in giving it the solubility, and coagulability 

 by heat, which characterize the white of egg. 



Fibrine and albumen, besides having the same 

 composition, agree also in this, that both dissolve in 

 concentrated muriatic acid, yielding a solution of an 

 intense purple colour. This solution, whether made 

 with fibrine or albumen, has the very same re-actions 

 with all substances yet tried. 



Both albumen and fibrine, in the process of nutri- 

 tion, are capable of being converted into muscular 

 fibre, and muscular fibre is capable of being recon- 

 verted into blood. These facts have long been esta- 

 blished by physiologists, and chemistry has merely 

 proved that these metamorphoses can be accom- 

 plished under the influence of a certain force, with- 

 out the aid of a third substance, or of its elements, 

 and without the addition of any foreign element, or 

 the separation of any element previously present in 

 these substances. 



If we now compare the composition of all organ- 

 ised i^arts with that of fibrine and albumen, the fol- 

 lowing relations present themselves : — 



All parts of the animal body which have a decided 

 shape, which form parts of organs, contain nitrogen. 

 No part of an organ which possesses motion and life 



