272 Dr. Prout on the Phenomena of Sanguification, [Arnrrt, 
its effect: on litmus paper, being so very evanescent. I consi- 
dered it in the pigeon as the carbonic. There appears, however, 
to be vecasionally another acid, which is of a much more per- 
manent nature, and is probably the phosphoric acid—a circum- 
stance that has very likely contributed to the above-mentioned 
diversity of opinion on the subject. In the fluids of the stomachs 
and alimentary canals of all animals that I have examined, I have 
uniformly observed distinct indications of the presence of lime 
im some slight state of combination. It may be separated by 
digesting a portion of the alimentary matters in acetic acid, and 
adding oxalate of ammonia to the solution obtained. A copious 
white precipitate takes place, which consists of oxalate of lime 
m union with some animal matter, probably mucus, which, in 
almost all stances, appears to contain lime either in some 
peculiar state of combination, or perhaps of mixture. 
The fluids of the stomach are stated by Spallanzani and others 
to possess strong antiseptic powers both out of the body as well 
as init. Thus, according to Spallanzani, pieces of meat can he 
preserved in them for a long time out of the body without putrefac- 
tion ; anda piece of putrid meat, it is said,.even becomes sweet 
in the stomach of a dog in a short time. This latter circum 
stance, perhaps, arises in part from the putrid portions being 
already in a half decomposed state, and thus mor readily dis- 
solved than the sound parts which are left. M.Momtegre denies 
most of the above observations, and concludes that the gastric 
fluids do not differ from saliva; that they cannot stop putrefac- 
tion nor produce digestion independently of the vital action of 
the stomach, and that the acidity which appears, arises from the 
food during the digestive process, and is the effect of the action 
of the stomach ; of these conclusions, however, the first is cer- 
tainly erroneous. Some idea of the quantity of the gastric fluids 
may, perhaps, be formed from the fact formerly stated, that 
upwards of half an ounce of fluid was pressed from the contents 
of the stomach of a rabbit fed on perfectly dry food. 
The contents of the stomachs of animals feeding on vegetable 
substances, even when apparently fully digested and about to 
pass the pylorus, exhibit no traces of an albuminous principle ; 
the moment, however, thev enter the duodenum, they undergo 
a remarkable change, not only in their appearances, but their 
properties. These changes appear to be chiefly induced by the 
action of two secreted fluids with which they there come in con- 
tact, and are intimately mixed. These are the bile and pancreatic 
juice, on the nature of which we shall make a few remarks. The 
bile consists chiefly, according to the accurate observations of 
Berzelius, which agree with my own, of a large proportion of 
water holding in solution a peculiar bitter substance, named the 
biliary principle—of the mucus of the gall bladder, and of the 
usual salts contained in the blood and in all the fluids secreted 
from it. »The properties of the pancreatic juice I never could 
