1 14 Chemical Researches on the Bloody 



lysis, which on a former occasion I have described to this 

 Society *. 



When the lymph was submitted to the electrical action 

 of a balterv consisting of twenty pair^s of four-inch plates 

 of copper and zinc, there was an evolution of alkaline mat- 

 ter at the negative surface, and portions of coagulate;! al- 

 bumen were separated. As far as the small quantities on 

 which I operated enabled me to ascertain, muriatic acid 

 only was evolved at the positive surface. 



SECTION IV. 

 Some Remarks on the Analysis of the Serum of Blood, 



This fluid has been so frequently and fullv examined by 

 chemists, that I shall not enter into a detailed account of 

 its composition, but merely state such circumstances re- 

 specting it as relate particularly to the present inquiry, and 

 have not hitherto been noticed by the experimentalists to 

 whom I have alluded. 



The fluid which oozes from serum that has been coagu- 

 lated by heat, and which by physiologists is termed se- 

 rosity, is usually reoarded as consisting of gelatine, with 

 some uncombined soda, and minute portions of saline sub- 

 stances, such as muriate of soda and of potash, and phos- 

 phate of lime, and of amrnonia. Dr. Bostock regards it as 

 mucus f. 



From some experiments which I made upon the serum 

 of blood, on a former occasion, I was induced to regard the 

 serosity as a compound of albumen with excess of alkali, 

 and to consider the coagulation of the serum analogous to 

 that of the white of egg, and of the other varieties of liquid 

 albumen. 



To ascertain this point, and to discover whether gelatine 

 exists in the serum, I instituted the following experiments. 



Two fluid ounces of pure serum were heated in a water 

 bath until perfectly coagulated : the coagulum, cut into 

 pieces, was digested for some hours in four fluid ounces of 

 distilled water, which was afterwards separated by means 

 of a filter. 



The clear liquor reddened turmeric paper, and afforded a 

 copious precipitation on the addition of infusion of galls, 

 and when evajjorated to half an ounce it gelatinized on 

 cooling. It was rendered very slightly turbid by the addi- 



* Phil. Trims. 1S09, p. ,^73. 



f Trinsactious of the Medical and Chirurgical .Societv of London, vol, i. 

 p. 73. 



lion 



