CREATINE. 137 



alligator, and Heintz* proved its existence in beef, and was at the 

 same time the first observer who accurately determined the com- 

 position of this body. Liebig may, however, l^e regarded as the 

 first who made us thoroughly acquainted with it by his conclusive 

 investigations regarding its chemical relations and the various 

 situations in which it occurs. Liebig has examined so many different 

 kinds of flesh for creatine, and so universally discovered it, that 

 scarcely a doubt can now be entertained that creatine forms a 

 constituent of the muscles of all the higher classes of animals. 

 The quantity of creatine found in muscle is, however, exceedingly 

 small. Liebig obtained only36 grammes (consequently only 0*072^) 

 of creatine from 100 pounds of lean horse-flesh; 30 grammes 

 (or 0'07) from 56 pounds of beef; but 72 grammes ( = 0-32^) 

 from 47 pounds of the flesh of lean fowls ; consequently for every 

 100 parts of flesh there were only 0*07 or at most 0'32 parts of 

 creatine, or 1 part of creatine to 1400 parts of flesh. Liebig 

 has further convinced himself that lean flesh contains more creatine 

 than fat flesh ; and this may probably be the cause of propor- 

 tionally a large quantity of creatine being found in the tissue of the 

 heart of the ox. 



Liebig obtained the largest quantity of creatine from the flesh of 

 fowls and martens ; the quantity diminished progressively in the 

 flesh of horses, foxes, roes, stags, hares, oxen, sheep, pigs, calves, 

 and fishes. Liebig could frequently obtain only traces of creatine 

 from fat flesh. 



Gregoryf has examined several kinds of flesh, according to 

 Liebig' s method, in reference to their amount of creatine. He 

 found in 100 parts of bullock's heart from 0-1375 to 0*1418 parts 

 of creatine, in the flesh of the cod-fish (Gadus morrhua) from 

 0*0935 to 0*17 parts, in the flesh of pigeons 0*0825 parts, and in 

 the flesh of the skate (Raja bails) 0*0607 parts. Gregory especially 

 recommends the flesh of the cod-fish, partly because it contains 

 a proportionally large quantity of creatine, and partly because 

 it most readily yields a pure, finely crystallised creatine. Sea- 

 fish appears to contain much more creatine than fresh-water 

 fish. 



SchlossbergerJ has shown by direct experiment that human 

 flesh presents no exception to the rule ; 6 pounds of human flesh 

 yielding about 2 grammes of creatine (therefore =0*067^). 



* Fogg. Ann. Bd. 70, S. 476-480. 



t Ann. d. Ch. u. Pharm. Bd. 64, S. 100-108. 



J Arch. f. phys. Heilk. Bd. 7, S. 209-211. 



