ORGANIC DECOMPOSITION. 2 29 



" The effect of poison on all animals is death ; 

 but dilution delays the effect, and when carried 

 further prevents it altogether; and hence it is 

 probably due to a chemical alteration of the 

 tissue. 



" Chemical action or over-action will destroy 

 the living tissues of the body," ' and consequently 

 the continuity of the vital electric current. 



The most frequent and powerful source of 

 electric disturbance is chemical action ; there 

 being probably no instance of chemical union or 

 decomposition in which the electric condition of 

 bodies is not altered. Very many drugs taken 

 into the system produce disintegration or decom- 

 position : the hydrogen in the body, leaving the 

 carbon, unites with the oxygen in the drugs 

 and organic tissues. 



In the work of disorganization nitrogen has 

 an active part. Its original name was "azote," 

 a descriptive term, meaning " against life? Its 

 influence in facilitating the separation of the 

 molecules of hydrogen from their union with 

 those of carbon in organic substances has been 

 noticed (p. 180), in relation to prussic acid and 

 other compounds. 



The molecules of hydrogen and oxygen com- 

 posing the blood and flesh of living animals 

 combine to form water, when brought into con- 

 tact with molecules of nitrogen in nitrate of 



1 Carpenter's Physiology. 



