236 DR. ORD. 



deposited partook rather of the " coalescence" than of the 

 crystalline type. Now, in the human body at least, the con- 

 ditions cxistinp;, particularly during the period of most active 

 growth, included the presence of albumen, and a tempera- 

 ture much higher than had been used in any of the foregoing 

 experiments. Albumen, too, after coagulation, could be used 

 at temperatures which Avould destroy the consistence of the 

 gelatin plugs. 



Tubes were therefore plugged with albumen on the 

 same principle as the tubes had before been plugged with 

 gelatin. 



Beakers Avere filled to the depth of three quarters of an 

 inch with fresh white of egg, the tubes were introduced, and 

 heat gradually applied by means of a water bath till the 

 albumen Avas thoroughly coagulated. When this was care- 

 fully carried out, Avith a temperature not exceeding 200° 

 Fahr., the plugs were firm, homogeneous, and Avater-tight, 

 no leakage occurring after the tubes had been filled Avith 

 Avater and left for tAventy-four hours. 



Oxalate of calcium, deposited in these plugs at a tempera- 

 ture of from 50° — 60°, took almost entirely the coalescence 

 form. 



When a plug AA'as carefully examined, it Avas found firm 

 and bluish in colour at the oxalic end, soft and yellowish at 

 the calcic. In the third next the oxalate, no forms AvhatcA'er 

 of crystalline or coalescence order existed, but the albumen 

 AA'as remarkably fibrillated.' BeloAv this appeared, in small 

 numbers, large perfect homogeneous spheres, isolated, re- 

 fracting light energetically, and polarizing Avith one A^ery 

 perfect cross. LoAver doAvn these had decreased in size, in- 

 creased in number, and begun to coalesce Avith each other, 

 forming here and there A-ery perfect dumb-bells, and further 

 on, large confused calculi, of Avhich the line of greatest de- 

 posit Avas in chief j)art composed. As to crystalline forms, 

 only one Avas present — the feathered octohedron, much de- 

 pressed and much drawn out at angles, large enough to fill, 

 when seen flat, the field of a half-inch of considerable angle 

 of aperture ; composed, Avhen seen sideways, of tAvo plates 

 joined face to face, Avith a boss or enlargement at the middle, 

 Avhere generally a small coalescence sphere could be seen. 

 Albumen AA-as evidently much more active than gelatin in 

 controlling crystallizing force. 



Triple phosphate being used, the stalactitic crystals Avere 

 found turned into rounded rods, bulging at many points into 

 beads, and variously bent, twisted, and interAvoven, so as to 

 * Quer^.'-'Bid this indicate combination ? 



