Philosophical Transactiom. 143 



were removed immediately after death, and repeatedly digested 

 in cold distilled water till they ceased to impart any thino- to that 

 fluid. The whole of these diftierent portions of fluid, which always 

 exhibited strong and decided marks of acidity, were then inti- 

 mately mixed together, and after being allowed to settle, were 

 divided into four equal portions, 1. The first of these portions 

 was evaporated to dryness in its natural state, and the residuum 

 burnt in a platinum vessel ; the saline matter left was then dis- 

 solved in distilled water, and the quantity of muriatic acid present 

 determined by nitrate of silver in the ucual manner ; the propor- 

 tion of muriatic acid, in union with a fixed alkali was thus deter- 

 mined. 2. Another portion of the original fluid was super-saturated 

 with potash, then evaporated to dryness, and burnt, and the mu- 

 riatic acid contained in the saline residuum determined as before. 

 In this manner the ^o^aZ quantity of muriatic acid present in the 

 fluid was ascertained. 3. A third portion was exactly neutralized 

 with a soluiion of potash of known strength, and the quantity re- 

 quired f(jr that purpose accurately noticed. This gave the propor- 

 tion oi free acid present, and by adding this to the quantity in 

 union with a fixed alkali, as determined above, and subtracting the 

 sum from the total quantity of muriatic acid present, the propor- 

 tion of acid in union with ammonia was estimated. But as a check 

 to this result the third neutralized portion above mentioned was 

 evaporated to dryness, and the muriate of ammonia expelled by 

 heat and collected. The quantity of muriatic acid this contained 

 was then determined as before, and was always found to represent 

 nearly the quantity of muriate of ammonia as before estimated ; 

 thus proving the general accuracy of the whole experiments beyond 

 a doubt. 4. The remaining fourth portion of the original fluid was 

 reserved for miscellaneous experiments, and particularly for the 

 purpose of ascertaining whether it contained anv other acid besides 

 the muriatic. The experiments above mentioned seemed to preclude; 

 the possibility of the presence of any destructible acid, and the only 

 known fixed acids likely to be present were the sulphuric and 

 phosphoric ; the muriate of barytes, however, neither alone nor 

 with the addition of ammonia produced any immediate precipi- 

 tate *, shewing the absence of these two acids in any sensible 

 quantity, and still farther confirming the results as before ob- 

 tained. 



" In this manner the three following results, selected from a va- 

 riety of others of a similar nature were obtained : 



* It may be proper to remark, thai ammonia after some lime caused a floc- 

 culent precipitate, consisting of llie eartliy phosphates in union with vegetable 

 and animal matter, and that ai'ler coml)ustion traces of snlpluiric acid, the 

 resuh of tlial process, were very perceptible. But it is evident, from the ex- 

 periment related in the text, that neither of these acids previously existed in 

 the original fluid in a free state. 



