CHAP. Vlll.] CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF NERVOUS MATTER. 207 



to the brain with other parts of the body. By solution in boiling 

 alcohol, Vauquelin was enabled to resolve the fatty matter into elaine 

 and stearine (margarine?). The following table gives the result of 



his analysis e 



Albumen 



( Stearine 

 Cerebral fat 1 



( Elaine 

 Phosphorus 

 Osmazome . 

 Acids, Salts, Sulphur . 

 Water 



100-00 



Vauquelin remarked that the medulla oblongata, and medulla 

 spinalis, have the same composition as the brain, but contain a 

 much larger proportion of cerebral fat, with less albumen, osma- 

 zome, and water. 



These results are confirmed, t in the main, by the analysis of 

 Fremy, which was published in the Annales de Chimie for 1841. 

 M. Fremy states, that the three principal constituents previously 

 detected by Vauquelin, exist in the following proportions in one 

 hundred parts ; seven parts of albumen, five parts of fatty matter, 

 and eighty parts of water. 



From the fatty matter of the brain M. Fremy extracts various 

 secondary organic compounds; namely, 1, Cerebric acid; a white 

 substance in the form of crystalline grains, abounding in carbon, 

 and containing a minute proportion of phosphorus. 2. Cholesterine, 

 the same as that which is obtained from bile. In preparations 

 of the brain preserved in spirits, a substance of crystalline cha- 

 racter resembling cholesterine is apt to form round the piece. 

 3. Oleophosphoric acid ; a peculiar fatty acid, containing from 

 1*9 to 2 per cent, of phosphorus in the condition of phosphoric 

 acid. Fremy regards it as analogous to the compound of sul- 

 phuric acid and elaine, or sulph-oleic acid. 4. Traces of elaine, 

 margarine, and fatty acids. These principles do not always exist in 

 an insolated state ; for the cerebric acid is often combined with soda, 

 or phosphate of lime, and the oleophosphoric acid is commonly 

 found in union with soda. 



The quantity of phosphorus which may be found in the nervous 

 matter varies considerably at different periods of life, and is very 

 small in idiotcy. According to L'Heritier's analyses, the minimum 

 of this element is found in infancy, in old age, and in idiotcy ; and 

 the maximum of water exists in the infant. The following is a 

 tuble of his comparative analyses : 



