g6 Animal Mailer. [Book IX. 



When animal matter is diftilled with a ftrong heat, 

 we obtain a watery fluid, holding in folution fome 

 fal ammoniac, fuperfaturated with volatile alkali ; a light 

 oil, and a ponderous dark oil, mixed with concrete 

 volatile alkali ; a fpongy coal remains in the retort, of 

 difficult incineration, and which contains fea-falt, mild 

 fofille alkali, iron, and calcareous earth, combined 

 with phofphoric acid. 



Such are the products afforded by the diftillation of 

 all animal matters, except that the proportions vary, 

 according to the degree of folidity in the part fubmitted 

 to diftillation. The moft characleriftic mark of ani- 

 mal matter, is its containing azote, which confiderably 

 alters its products, both by putrefaction and diftillation, 

 and which in both thefe precedes combining with 

 hydrogen produces volatile alkali. As vegetables and 

 animals, however, pafs by infenfible degrees into each 

 other, fo there are fome vegetables which afford vola- 

 tile alkali, and which confequently contain azote ; 

 Chough in far leis quantity than any animal matter. 



The elementary matters which enter into the com- 

 pofidon of the foft part.s of animals, are carbon, hy- 

 drogen, azote and oxygenj the bones are compofed erf" 

 calcareous earth and phofphoric acid: a very fmall 

 quantity alfo of iron, and of fome neutral falts, 

 particularly fuch'as are compofed of the mine- 

 nil and volatile alkalies, and lime, combined with 

 the muriatic, phofphoric and carbonic acids, are dil- 

 covered by careful analyfis. By the application of 

 hear, the elementary matters above mentioned afTume 

 pew arrangements and combinations ; hydrogen and 

 oxygen uniting, form water; hydrogen and carbon, 

 cil ; hydrogen and azote, volatile alkali ; oxygen and 

 carbon, cretaceous or carbonic acid: Ibme of the gaffes 

 alfo efcape in a feparate Mate, and part of the carbon 



remains 



