42 History of physical Science from [July, 



interred ; but the curate (for the church of Scotland at that time 

 was episcopalian) refused to permit her body to be deposited in 

 consecrated ground. She was in contequence carried back, and 

 buried in the place where she was found. The proprietor of the 

 estate had the curiosity last year to open the grave. The body 

 was found quite entire, and even the plaid in which it had been 

 wrapped was in good preservation ; but the whole body was 

 converted into a hard saponaceous matter. I had the curiosity 

 to examine a portion cut from the thigh, which was sent to the 

 Glasgow museum. It was hard and firm, and had the aspect of 

 soap. On treating it with alcohol, I found that it was composed 

 chiefly of the adipocire, which has been so often described and 

 examined that it would be superfluous to give any description. 

 But the whole was not adipocire ; there remained undissolved 

 by the alcohol a number of thin films, quite similar in appearance 

 to the coats of the bladder. The quantity of fatty matter in this 

 instance was by far too great to suppose it to have pr^-existed in 

 the living body. 



5. Poison of the Viper. — From the experiments of Professor 

 Mangili, it appears that the poison of the viper may be swallowed 

 with impunity by animals, and that it preserves its poisonous 

 qualities even after being kept 26 months. — (Ann. de Chim. et 

 de Phys. iv. 169.) 



6. Colouring Matter of the Blood. — Berzelius has published 

 an instructive paper on this subject. According to him, Vau- 

 quelin's method of separating the colouring matter from blood 

 by means of sulphuric acid, is unnecessary, and does not answer 

 well. Beizelius's method is very simple. Place the clot of 

 blood upon bloating paper, to get rid of the serum as completely 

 as possible ; then put the clot into water. The colouring matter 

 is dissolved, while the fibrin remains. By evaporating the water, 

 the colouring matter may be obtained in a separate state. No 

 iron can be detected in the colouring matter while undecomposed ; 

 but when reduced to ashes, about a half per cent of iron can 

 always be separated. — (Ann. de Chim. et de Phys. v. 42.) 



7. Respiration of Tortoises. — Few animals are able to live for 

 any time when plunged under oil. Even those that can resist 

 the vacuum of an air-pump, or which revive after being drowned 

 in water, never revive if they have been kept for some time 

 under oil. The leech alone is capable of remaining for some 

 hours under oil with impunity. It appears from the experiments 

 of Carradori, that the land tortoise possesses the same remarkable 

 quality. He kept one under oil for six hours. When he 

 appeared dead, he was taken out and exposed to the air, and 

 recovered. The same tortoise lived under oil for 24 hours. On 

 being taken out, he vomited a considerable quantity of oil ; but 

 died. Another tortoise lived 33 hours under oil; but was dead 

 in 36 hours. — (Ann. de Chim. et de Phys. v. 94.) 



