and some other Animal Fluids. 1 1 1 



2. It is rapidly dissolved by the caustic and subcarbo- 

 natcd alkalies. With solutions of potash and soda, it 

 forms pale brown compounds, from which, when recent, a 

 little ammonia is evolved. In liquid ammonia the solu- 

 tion is of a reddish hue, 



3. The action of the acids upon these different com- 

 pounds is attended with nearly similar phsenomena, a sub- 

 stance being separated intermediate in its properties between 

 fat and albumen. Nitric acid added in excess redissolves 

 this precipitate in the cold, and sulphuric, muriatic, and 

 acetic acids when boiled upon it for a short time. 



4. Neither alcohol nor ether exerts any action upon the 

 coagulum of chyle ; but of the precipitate from its alkaline 

 solution they dissolve a small portion, which has the pro- 

 perties of spermaceti : the remainder is coagulated albumen. 



5. Sulphuric acid very readily dissolves this coacrulum, 

 even when diluted with its weight of water ; and with the 

 assistance of heat, it is soluble in a mixture of one part by 

 weight of acid, with four of water; but when the propor- 

 tion of water is increased to six parts, the dilute acid exerts 

 no action upon it. I was surprised to find that the alkalies 

 produced no precipitation in these sulphuric solutions when 

 heat had been employed in their formation, and where a 

 small proportion only of the coagulum had been dissolved, 

 and was therefore led to examine more particularly the 

 changes which the coagulum had undergone by the action 

 of the acid. 



On evaporating a solution of one drachm of the coagu- 

 lum in two ounces of dilute sulphuric acid (consisting of 

 one part by weight of acid with three of water) down to 

 one ounce, a small quantit)' of carbonaceous matter sepa- 

 rated, and the solution had the following properties. 



It was transparent, and of a pale brown colour. 



Neither the caustic nor carbonated alkalies produced in 

 it any precipitation, when added to exact saturation of the 

 acid, or in excess. 



Infusion of galls, and other solutions containing tannin, 

 rendered the acid solution turbid, and produced a more 

 copious precipitation in that which had been neutralized by 

 the addition of alkalies. 



When evai>oratcd to dryness, carbonaceous matter waa 

 deposited, and sulphurous acid evolved, with the other usual 

 products of these decompositions. 



6. On digesline the coagulum in dilute nitric acid, con- 

 sisting of one part by weigjit of the acid to fifteen of water, 

 it was speedily rendtred of a deep brown colour, but no 



other 



