13 i Analyjls of Human and Animal EoneSt 



enable us to acquire a clear conception of them, and lo 5n- 

 creafe our knowledge refpe(Sting them *." Fourcroy obferves, 

 in his Elements of Chcmiltry, under the head Bone, that 

 " We cannot rcfufe believing that the bones of mart and of 

 quadrupeds arc of a different nature from the foft and flexible 

 bones of fillies, reptiles, and, above all, the corneous fkeletons 

 of infeAs, as well as from the calcareous teftaceous covering 

 of worms which have fiiells.'* 



Being delirous to afcertain the truth of what had been ad- 

 vanced by C. Fourcroy, and guided by what is prefcribed by 

 BuiToh in the treatifc above mentioned, I undertook a labour, 

 lupcrior, no doubt, to my ability, and in which it is poffible 

 1 may. have been deceived, but which I fubmit to the judg- 

 ment of thofe who are mafters in the art. I was defirous of 

 procuring all the objects which it was necefiary Ihouldbe 

 fubjeftcd to comparifon, fuch as a ferics of human bones, 

 from which I might trace out the progrefs of offification ; 

 but as I could not, and wifhing to kHow at leaft the difler- 

 <;nce between produtSls of animal bones at an early age, and 

 thofe of the fame animal at an advanced age, I employed for 

 that pwrnofe the bones of oxen and calves. I wanted, to 

 complete mv experiments in this analyfis, the bones of Car- 

 nivorous animals, the flceletons of infects, &c. When I am 

 able to procure them, I fhall refume my labours. 



Being defirous to comprehend in this analyfis, hair, cor^ 

 neous fiibllances, and the bridles of different animals, I re- 

 marked, when treating the firft of thefe fubfi:anees \\\\.\\ 

 caullic foda, by mcjus of heat, that there was produced a 

 confiderablc difeugagvnient of ammonia ; that in pouring 

 into this folulion the muriatic acid, there was difengaged 

 fiilphurated hydrogen, and that a blackilli precipitate, but in 

 \cry fmall quantity, was thrown down. Having boiled this 

 liquor, there was ftill dii'engagcd a great deal of fulphurated 

 iiydrogen, from which I conjcftured tliat it contained ful- 

 phur; and this fact I wlHicd to afcertain. With that view, 

 ( put a filver fpoon into the liquid, and again boiled it ; the, 

 J'poon became exceedingly black, and I thence concluded 

 ihat the hair contained fulphur. As this labour prcfented 



* D- lours lie /.} Man'he d'ElvJicr et cle 7'railcr illifoire l-^alurcUc, p. 1 6. 

 (j peculiar 



