1908-9. On THE ORIGIN OF THE CANADIAN APATITES. 50 
“9 3 
of mussels were used in the experiment. Their bodies yielded on an 
average 14 grms. of ash each. ‘They were left for 50 days in a 5 li. flask 
With a ground stopper. In this was put 1,500 c.c. seltzer water con- 
taining 45 grms. precipitated tribasic calcium phosphate. On incineration, 
they yielded 314 mgr. of ash, or 147*mgr. more than in the ordinary 
state. This ash gave the following analysis: 
Mribasicrealcstitt: PMOSPMALE ers es oh ost aad aos cgi ated dere 86.88 
CalciimyearOOHAtet nn. cle GRA mons eee es Sek aan Be ein 5) 
1S (0) (SEs r( OAM RIL SMe peat ite ke) asi de eee ee I.gl 
99-97 
26. In another experiment he used wood, too parts of which gave 
0.44 ash, containing 0.00018 P, O;, or 4.07% of the total ash. After 
being seven months in a closed flask containing 5 grms. powdered calcium 
phosphate and 2 grms. ammonium carbonate in distilled water, 100 parts 
gave 0.33 ash containing 7.75% of phosphoric acid. On repeating the 
experiment using seltzer, the proportion of ash was 0.66 giving 24.25% 
of phosphoric acid. These facts would appear to have a most important 
bearing on the matter. For we have here an explanation of the fact that 
although animals and plants contain only a small percentage of phosphoric 
acid, their accumulated remains form vast masses of phosphates. 
27. While these arguments are of weight in the consideration of rock 
phosphates, we are met with difficulty when we turn our attention to the 
apatites which are essentially fluophosphates or occasionally, chlorophos- 
phates. So great is this difficulty that M. Lasne offered as his elucidation 
that the deposits of phosphate are practically all fluophosphates and sup- 
posed them to be due to precipitation in land-locked, shallow seas of 
the fluophosphates in solution. This was found to be an untenable 
position, and we were forced again to look for a new explanation. 
28. Here as in the previous problem the researches of M. Carnot 
prove of value. He found”! that fossil bones, composed essentially 
of calcium phosphate when allowed to stand in water containing a little 
fluoride in solution will gradually appropriate a small proportion of the 
fluorine especially if there be an evaporation with a simultaneous addition 
of fresh water. 
Further,?? he showed that calcium fluophosphate is much less 
soluble than the phosphate, and that if a mixture of phosphate and. 
fluophosphate be treated with water, the insoluble residue contains a 
21 Ann, des M. ’93, 1; 185. 
22 An. de M. 9—10 : 163. 
