222 On muscular Motion^ 



53 grains, but the dead fish had lost 7 grains. The specific 

 gravity ot" the crimped fish was greater than that of the dead 

 fish ; l)ut a quantity of air bubbles adhered to the surfaces 

 of the crimped muscles, which were rubbed off before 

 Tveiahinsr : this 2;as was not inflammable. 



The specific gravity of the crimped fish - 1'105 

 of the dead fish, after an 

 equal immersion in water 1*090 



So that the accession of water, specifically lighter than 

 the muscle of fish, did not diminish the specific gravity of 

 crimped muscle, but the contrary : a proof that condensa- 

 tion had taken place. 



A piece of cod fish, weiohing twelve pounds, gained irt 

 weight, bv crimping, rwo ounces avoirdupois ; and another 

 less vivacious picce^ of fifteen pounds, gained one ounce 

 and half*. 



The hinder limb of a frog, having the skin stripped off, 

 and weighing 77-,-V grains, was immersed in water at 54", 

 and suffered to remain nineteen hours, when it had become 

 rigid, and vveighcd lOOJ- grains. The specific gravity of 

 the contracted limb had increased, as in the crimped fish. 



630 grains weight of the subscapuhris muscle of a calf^ 

 which had been killed two days from the lOlh of January,, 

 was immersed in New River water at 45°. After ninety 

 minutes the muscle was contracted, and weighed in air 

 770 grains: it had also increased in specific gravity, but 

 the quantity of air bubbles formed in the interstitial spaces 

 of the reticular membrane made it difficult to ascertain the- 

 degree. 



Some of the smallest fasciculi of muscular fibres from the 

 same veal, which had not been immersed in water, were 

 placed on a glass plate, in the field of a powerful micro- 

 scope, and a drop of water thrown over them, at the tem- 

 perature of 54", the atmosphere in the room being 57**.- 

 They instantly began to contract, and became tortuous. 



On confining the ends of another fibril with little weights 

 of glass, it contracted two-thirds of its former length, by 

 similar treatment. The same experiment was made on the 

 niHscular fibres of lamb and beef, twelve hours after the 

 animals had been killed, with the like results. Neither vi- 



* I am informed that the crimpintr of fresh water fishes requires hard 

 water, or such as does not suit the purposes oi washing with -.o,-ip. Thi* 

 fact io substantiated by the practice of the London itshmongT^., ^^-u'^Ee ex- 

 perience has taught them to employ puuip water, or what u cCiiuuouly called 

 hard vvater. 



negar. 



