Chemical Refearclia into the Nature of the Rideti: ,-- 



well as the obfervatlons upon which the author groumls his inferences, prefent to view 

 nnaters of faclfulncently remarkable to afford a prefumption that new experln^ents Z 

 confirm the.r truth. We announce them on the prefent occafion with expr.ffions of doubt, 

 becaufe thefe are the expreffions which the wifdom and modefty of the author have fu.- 

 gefted and becaufe we think with him, that fads of this nature cannot be Rated as if fuUv 

 proved, but m confequence of multiplied experiments. 



The principal notions which conftitute the bafis of this memoir are the following • 

 I. According to the author, the nature of the rachitic diforder arifes on the one hand 

 from the development of an acid approaching m its properties to the vegetable acids part 

 cularly the oxa he, and on the other from the defea of phofphoric acid, of which tt com 

 . bmation w.th the anunal calcareous earth forms the natural bafis of the bones, and Z 

 them their folidity. fa'>":-» 



Whence it follows, that the indication refulting from this propofition, if once adopted 

 would be that the treatment of rachitis muft depend on two principal points, name vto' 

 prevent the development of the oxalic acid, and to re-eftablifii the combination of the Lot 

 phone aod w.th the bafis of the bones to whieh they owe their folidity 



2. The author proves by experiments and obfervations, iri the firft place that nil- r 

 lottonsof the parts aff-efted with rachitis contribute to their cure nexJat 17 

 xeous phofphate taken mternally is re.d,y tranfmitted by the lymphatic pafilges and con tr 

 . butes to oiBficatio.. , and laftly, that the internal ufe of calcareous phofphate whether 

 alone or comb.ned w.th the phofphate of foda, powerfully contributes o ret 'the n t7 

 ral proportions m the fubftance of the bones, and accelerate the cure of rachitis 



On the pre ent occafion we fhall only collcft the proof of thefe fundamental fads which 

 form the abfo utely new part of this memoir, in which the author has befide intr'tll at 

 excellent abridgement of all that had been afcertained before him on the nature o "he bl, 

 the rachitis, and the treatment of this diforder " 



raclntis. . ThatthedeveirpmentofoxaliLcidT.truit^^^^^^^^^^ 



We muft not conceal, that this ingenious part of his memoir contains rather views tha« 

 ab olute proofs of the nature of the rachitic acid. The author himfelf declares, , lafhe was 

 not provided with the necefiary means to eftablifii an exad and complet i^Ufi 

 H^^^nerefore prefents his ideas in thi. rcfpea. merely as conjeaures approaching ^'^ 



The effca of the aaion of acids upon bones, was before known ; that is to f,., ,1, . , 

 deprived of calcareous phofphate, and reduced to the gelatinous a^X^a wl^h Vl '" 

 one of their elements, they lofe their confiftence and bcLme flexible. Hr: it w faltl 

 conjeanred by various pliyficians, that the rachitis was the effea of a peculiar acid 



A d.fpofition to acefccnce in the firft paflages is obfervable in ail infants. The odour 

 which charaaen«s this acefcence is often manifeft in their breath, and even t eir per 

 fp.ration. I he bdc corrcas this difpofition ; but in general the bile is want "g i racE 

 ■ nfan ,. t does not co our their excrements, and the acids accordingly are devc pe ^ , 

 very decided manner They difturb the circulation, and attack and foLn the bJes As 

 '.t .. by dcfea of antmalizntion *at thefe acids develop thcmfelves. it follows that thl 



^ cliaraaer 



