3S0 Analyses of Booh. [Mat, 



Hence it is inferred, that the food in the colon will undergo a 

 similar change. I must own that I cannot very clearly perceive 

 the analogy between the situation of the food in the colon, and of 

 animal muscle in a stream of water, or buried in the ground and 

 occasionally drenched with water. 4. Ambergris, which contains 

 60 per cent, of fat, is found in the lower intestines of the sperma- 

 ceti whale, and solid masses of fat are sometimes formed in the 

 human intestines. 5. Food confined for a week in the coecum of 

 a duck, was partially converted into fat by the action of dilute 

 nitric acid ; but no such change was produced by the same process 

 on the contents of the rectum. 6. Bile when digested upon animal 

 muscle gives it the smell of excrement. 7- Bile has the property 

 of converting muscle into fat, when digested upon it at the tempe- 

 rature of 100° ; but not at a lower temperature. 8. Human faeces 

 long retained exhibit traces of fat when digested in hot water. 

 9. The want of bile seems entirely to prevent growth ; for a child, 

 destitute of a gall bladder, never grew, and died emaciated, though 

 it took food and passed perfect faeces. Such are the premises from 

 which our author draws his conclusions. They are certainly curious, 

 and do honour to the industry and sagacity of Sir Everard Home ; 

 but the reasoning is so loose, that it could not be permitted in any 

 other science. It shows very clearly the low state of physiology, 

 and the small confidence that can be put in any of its departments. 

 Were it not so, a man of Sir Everard Home's celebrity and saga- 

 city would not have hazarded the founding of a theory upon such 

 imperfect data. 



4. On the colouring Matter of tlie black Bronchial Glands, and 

 of the black Spots of the Lungs. By George Pearson, M.D. 

 F.R.S. The human lungs at first are of a red colour, but as the 

 jlerson advances in age they acquire a mottled, and at last nearly a 

 black colour; and the bronchial glands contain a black matter, 

 which cannot be completely separated by maceration. This black 

 matter was exRrained by Dr. Pearson. It is insoluble in nitric and 

 all acids, except the sulphuric, in which it partially dissolves. It 

 is insoluble in alkdine leys. It deflagrates with nitre and hyper- 

 oxymuriate of potash, and furnishes carbonic acid. From these and 

 other similar experiments, Dr. Pearson considers it as charcoal, 

 taken in with the air breathed ; and derived from the sooty matter 

 mixed with the air from the combustion of coal, &;c. 



5. Experiments on the Alcohol of Sulphur or Sulphuret of 

 Carbon. By J. Berzelius, M. D.' F. U.S. Professor of Chemistry at 

 Stockholm; and Alexander Marcet, M.D. F.R.S. one of the 

 Physicians of Guy's Hospital. A full account has been already 

 given of this important and interesting paper in the Annals of 

 Philosophy, vol. iii. p. 185. 



6. On the means of procuring a steady Light in Coal Mines 

 without Danger of Explosion. By William Rcid Clanny, M.D. 

 of Sunderland. The disasters occasioned by the explosion of car- 

 bureted hydrogen gas in coal mines have lately become more fre- 



