418 On the colouring Matter ejected hy the Cuttle F'uh. [Junb, 



subsiJe in it spontaneously, which took nearly a week to effect, so 

 very slow was the process. This aqueous solution was brownish. 

 It was divided into three equal parts, two of which were spent in 

 ascertaining the effects of the following agents. 



], 2. a. Heat. This produced no apparent change. 



I). Muriatic acid with heat. No apparent cliange. 



c. Acetic acid produced a faint opacity not increased by 



heat. Prussiate of potash added to this solution pro- 

 duced no precipitate. 



d. Oxymuriate of mercury produced a very faint preci- 



pitate after sonic time. 



e. Subacetarp of lead, no precipitate. 



J". Nitrate of lead, slight brown flaky precipitate. 

 g. Infusion of galls, no precipitate. 



Hence it contained no albuminous matter; but a small portion 

 only of a principle analogous to mucus. 



3. The remaining portion was evaporated to dryness in a glass 

 capsule. It left a residuum, which, when strongly dried, weighed 

 •25 grs. Distilled water was poured on this residuum, which took 

 up some neutral saline matter which provea to be a muriate, with 

 a little sulphate, most probably of soda, though the quantity was 

 so small that 1 could not pretend to determine this. 'I'bese saline 

 matters weighed about CMH gr. The rest was animal matter, ap- 

 parently analogous, as before observed, to mucus, and probably 

 derived from t!ie membrane being the cyst in which it was con- 

 tained. Now as Y : -iS :: 100 : 2-16p'arts of these salts in 100 

 parts ; and as y : 7 :: 100 : -84 parts of animal matter in ditto. 



B. Diluted muriatic acid was now poured on the black matter, 

 and digested with it for some time. To this dilute acid, which 

 was perfectly transparent and colourless, was added pure am- 

 monia. This occasioned no precipitate. Neutral carbonate of 

 ammonia was now added, which produced a very copious white 

 precipitate. This was carbonate of lime. It weighed 2*6 grains. 

 Now 26x4= 10 -4 parts per cent 



C To the above solution was next added phosphate of soda. 

 This occasioned a very copious precipitate of the triple phosphate 

 of magnesia and ammonia. It weighed 6 grains = 24 percent, 

 No\y this contained 3'3* of magnesia, which combined with 3*7 of 

 carbonic acid, formed 7 <>f carbonate of magne>ia. 



• This is founded upon the supposition that (he triple sulphate of mngnesia and 

 aminonict is composed of one atom of |ihospha:c of magnesia, one .itom of phos- 

 phate of ammonia, and five atoms of water. Snch a supposition will constitute 

 ) 00 part* of this triple phospbale, according to Dr. WoUaston"> scale, at about 



Phosphate of magnesia 35 



Phosphate of ammonia 33 



Water o2 



100 



Kow, according to Fourcroy, it is composed of equal weight? of cjcli, rvhicl 

 ioiaes very near the above. 



