120 M. Vauquelin on the Synovia of the Elephant. [August, 



composes a new variety of these gases, or at least a new mix- 

 ture of the component parts. 



It appears from the above analysis, that the gas in the cavity 

 of the abdomen differed considerably from that in the intestines, 

 the latter being an hydro-carbonous gas, holding a little animal 

 matter and sulphur in solution, and not containing azote. 



M. Vauquelin has also given an analysis of a species of calcu- 

 lous concretion, which was found in the maxillary glands of the 

 same animal. Some parts of it were formed into regular tetra- 

 hedral crystals, while others were amorphous, and had a grain 

 of oat in their centre, which seemed to be a nucleus on which 

 the matter had been deposited. By applying the proper reagents, 

 the concretions were found to consist principally of carbonate of 

 lime, united to a portion of phosphate of lime, and a little animal 

 matter. The individual concretion which M. Vauquelin exa- 

 mined, was one that had an oat in the centre, but we are not 

 informed whether there was any difference in the composition of 

 the crystallized matter. The author afterwards gives us an 

 account of some concretions which were found in the entrails of 

 a sole ; they were of a cubical form, and were found to consist of 

 phosphate of lime united to a little magnesia. Their peculiar 

 form is conceived not to be owing to any crystalline arrange- 

 ment, but to have been mechanically impressed upon them by 

 the cavity in which they were deposited. 



Analysis of the Synovia of the Elephant. By M. Vauquelin.* 



M. Margueron analyzed some years ago the synovia of the 

 ox ; and an account of his experiments was published in the 

 Annales de Chimie, torn. xiv. p. 143. He found -i of it to con- 

 sist of water ; it contained albumen in two states, also muriate 

 of soda, carbonate of soda, and phosphate of lime. The death 

 of the above-mentioned elephant enabled M. Vauquelin to obtain 

 the synovia in abundance, and he took advantage of this circum- 

 stance to repeat the examination of it. 



The conclusion which is deduced from the experiments is, 

 " that the synovia of the elephant does not differ from that of 

 the ox ; but that in the synovia of the elephant, as well as in 

 that of the ox, there is, independently of the albumen which 

 composes the greater part, another animal matter, which is not 

 susceptible of being coagulated by heat or by acids, but which 

 is coagulated by tan ; unless we suppose that the properties of 

 the albumen are modified by heat, and by the presence of the 

 salts which are found in this humour." 



M. Vauquelin differs a little from M. Margueron with respect 

 to the nature of the salts contained in synovia ; they are said to 

 be muriate of soda and potash, and a subcarbonate of soda, 



* Abridged from Journ. Pharm. iii. 289. (July, 1817.) 



