92 TRANSVERSELY STRIPED MUSCULAR FIBRES. 



stance as well as in the blood, which do not affect the distribution 

 of the water in the living body. 



The serum of the blood obtained from the dead body was not 

 found by these observations to differ in its amount of water from 

 the blood drawn by venesection during life ; but, on an average, a 

 larger amount of water than that given by any former observers 

 was found in the muscles (upwards of 8OJ in the bodies of healthy 

 persons who had committed suicide) ; it must remain undecided 

 for the present whether this excess of water depends upon an 

 absorption of the fluid by the muscles after death, or whether a 

 more careful mode of determining its amount may have yielded a 

 higher number for the water, and thus afforded a more correct 

 result. 



Both for the purpose of giving a general view of the subject, 

 and in order to furnish certain definite points of support for the 

 establishment of future observations on the metamorphosis of 

 animal mater, we here subjoin a list of the mean results of former 

 determinations of the individual constituents of the muscular sub- 

 stance; we limit ourselves more especially to the flesh of oxen : 



Per cent. Per cent. 

 Water .... .... .... 74'0 to 80'0 



Solid constituents .... .... 26'0 20*0 



100-0 100-0 



Muscular fibre .... .... 15'4 177 



Gelatigenous substance .... 0*6 1-9 



Albumen .... .... .... 2*2 3'0 



Creatine .... .... .... 0'07 0-14 



Creatinine .... .... .... undetermined. 



Inosic acid .... .... .... ditto 



Fat .... .... .... 1-5 to 2-30 



Lactic acid (C 6 H 5 O 5 . HO) .... 0-60 0-68 



Phosphoric acid .... .... 0'66 0'70 



Potash .... .... .... 0-50 0-54 



Soda .... .... .... 0-07 0'09 



Chloride of sodium ... .... 0*04 0'09 



Lime .... .... .... 0'02 0'03 



Magnesia .... .... .... 0'04 0'05 



It would scarcely appear necessary to enter more particularly 

 into the consideration of the methods to be employed in the 

 chemical investigation of the animal muscles, as the remarks already 

 made in reference to the analysis of the organic muscles apply equally 



