364 PROTEIN-COMPOUNDS. 



chemico-pathological theory of combustion would hardly attempt 

 to regard the fat in the emulsion as an antiphlogistic, since it has 

 been already proved by Nasse and others that the fibrin of in- 

 flammatory blood, and of the crusta inflammatoria, contains nearly 

 twice as much fat as ordinary fibrin, unless, indeed, he would 

 attempt to trace to this fact the digitus index medicatricis naturae, 

 protecting the fibrin from the action of the oxygen through the 

 agency of combustible fat. 



VlTELLIN. 



Chemical Relations. 



Properties. This is the albuminous body of the yolk of egg ; 

 it is so similar to albumen that, until recently, it has been con- 

 founded with the albumen of the white of egg ; like the latter, it 

 exists both in a soluble and in an insoluble modification ; the former 

 is not precipitated from its aqueous solution by organic acids or by 

 ordinary phosphoric acid, but is thrown down by' sulphuric and 

 hydrochloric acids ; at 60 its solution begins to become opalescent, 

 and at from 73 to 76 there is a deposition of larger or smaller 

 flakes. It is only distinguished from soluble albumen by the cir- 

 cumstances that (without the addition of acetic acid or of salts) 

 when heated, it forms flakes and clots, that it is not precipitated by 

 the salts of oxide of lead or of copper, and that it is thrown down 

 by ether. 



Coagulated vitellin has the same properties as coagulated 

 albumen, and the similar modifications of the other protein-com- 

 pounds. Moreover, in its reactions it coincides with Mulder's 

 binoxide of protein or fibrin-protein. 



Composition. Dumas was the first who analysed this body, 

 and discovered that it differed from albumen; according to this 

 analysis, with which that subsequently made by Gobley* very well 

 agrees, vitellin contains 3 atoms of water more than albumen; 

 according to Gobley it also contains phosphorus and sulphur. 

 Mulder, and especially v. Baumhauerf, have subsequently made 

 accurate analyses of this body, and regard it as a combination of 

 oxide of protein with sulphamide, so that its theoretical formula 

 would somewhat resemble that of fibrin. According to v. Baum- 

 hauer, the phosphorus contained in vitellin exists in it solely in the 



* Journ. de Pharm. T. 11, pp. 410-17, et T. 12, pp. 5-12. 

 t Scheik. Onderzoek. D. 3, p. 272, or Arch, der Pharm. Bd. 45, S. 193-220, and 

 Unters. II. 2, S. 80. 



