306 PHYSIOLOGY AT THE FARM. 



tains substances identical with the albumen, the fibrine, and 

 the caseine of the animal kingdom. The juice of many plants, 

 such as that of carrots, turnips, and cabbages, when heated, be- 

 comes turbid from the coagulation of a substance which is 

 proved by analysis to be of the same composition as albumen. 

 Wheat flour also contains an azotised substance which is solu- 

 ble in cold water; and this solution, on evaporation, yields 

 greyish flocculi of albumen. 



Fibrine. The substance which for a long time has been 

 known as fibrine is the concrete body obtained from the coagu- 

 lum of the blood by the separation of the red particles. The 

 same substance has long been regarded as the chief constituent 

 of the muscular fibre. Some differences, however, have been 

 of late pointed out between the fibrine of the blood and the 

 fibrine of the muscles. 



The proportion of fibrine in the blood does not exceed 2.5 

 parts in the 1000, but in inflammatory diseases it sometimes 

 rises as high as 11.8 in 1000. In anaemic diseases, it is often, 

 yet not uniformly, diminished below its usual proportion. Yet 

 by long fasting it is somewhat increased in quantity. Lymph 

 commonly contains no more than 0.4 or 0.5 parts per 1000. 

 In the chyle of animals it has been found to vary from 0.7 to 

 7.0 per 1000. 



The fibrine of muscle, after it has been well washed and pres- 

 sed, is dissolved more or less completely in dilute hydrochloric 

 acid. By the addition of ammonia the fibrine is precipitated, 

 and may be purified by successive washings in water, alcohol, 

 and ether. The muscle of different animals varies as to solu- 

 bility in dilute hydrochloric acid ; that of fowl and that of beef 

 was found to be almost wholly soluble ; that of mutton was 

 less so ; whilst in that of veal the insoluble portion amounted 

 to nearly one-half. This residue, besides other matters, con- 

 tained a quantity of fibrine which resembled blood fibrine. 



