CHAP. I.] FIBRINE. 37 



According to Mulder, this principle yields the following elements 

 in one hundred parts : 



Nitrogen .... 15-83 

 Carbon . . . .54-84 



Hydrogen .... 7'09 

 Oxygen . . . 21-23 



Phosphorus. . . . 0'33 



Sulphur .... 0-68 



100-00 



2. Fibrine. This proximate principle forms the basis of the 

 muscles; and is, therefore, the chief constituent of the flesh of 

 animals, in which it is found in the solid form. It exists in a state 

 of solution, in the serum of the blood, forming, with that fluid, the 

 liquor sanguinis of Dr. Babington, in the lymph, and in the chyle. 

 It is a constituent of the exudation (coagulable lymph) which forms 

 on certain surfaces, as the result of the inflammatory process, and 

 it sometimes occurs in dropsical fluids. 



Fibrine is distinguished from the other proximate principles, by 

 its remarkable property of spontaneous coagulation. When blood 

 is drawn from a vein, and allowed to rest, it speedily separates into 

 a solid portion, the crassamentum or clot, and a fluid portion, the 

 serum. The former consists of fibrine, with the red particles en- 

 tangled in it during its coagulation. It sometimes happens, that, 

 owing to an unusual aggregation of the red particles together, and 

 to their more speedy precipitation, a portion of fibrine on the sur- 

 face coagulates without enclosing the colouring matter. A yellowish 

 white layer forms the upper stratum of the crassamentum, and this 

 is called the buffy coat or inflammatory crust. It is an example of 

 nearly colourless fibrine, but contains also peculiar globules. 



We may obtain fibrine in a state of considerable purity, by cut- 

 ting the crassamentum into slices, and washing them in clean water 

 so as to dissolve out the colouring matter ; or by briskly stirring, 

 with a bundle of twigs, blood as it flows from a vein : the fibrine 

 coagulates upon the twigs in small portions, which, being washed, 

 afford good specimens of colourless fibrine; by digesting after- 

 wards in alcohol and ether, the adhering impurities are got rid of. 

 Another mode of obtaining this substance is that suggested by 

 Miiller, namely, to filter frog's blood, the red particles of which 

 being too large to permeate the pores of the filter, the liquor san- 

 guinis passes through in a colourless state, and its fibrine coagulates 

 free from colouring matter. Sometimes we obtain masses of fibrine, 



