CHAPTER II 



CHEMIC COMPOSITION OF THE HUMAN 

 BODY 



THE human body after a chemic analysis can be 

 reduced into its final constituents. The analysis 

 of the dead body is completed with little difficulty, 

 while the analysis of the constituents of the living 

 body is a most complicated and arduous task. The 

 former procedure is called chemic anatomy, while 

 the latter is termed chemic physiology. 



The analysis of the human body will disclose the 

 fact that it contains liquid and solid compounds which 

 belong to both the organic and inorganic chemic 

 and plant world. These compounds derived from 

 a proximate analysis are termed proximate principles. 

 However, to deserve, this term they must be obtained 

 in the form in which they exist in the living body. 



The organic compounds consist of carbohydrates, 

 fatty and protein groups of organic bodies; the 

 inorganic compounds consist of water, various acids, 

 and inorganic salts. 



Chemic Elements Found in the Human Body : Oxygen, 

 72 per cent.; hydrogen, 9.1; nitrogen, 2.5; carbon, 

 13.5; phosphorus, 1.15; calcium, 1.3; sulphur, 0.147; 

 sodium, 0.1; potassium, 0.026; chlorin, 0.085; fluorin, 

 iron, silicon, magnesium, iodine, in small amounts. 



ORGANIC COMPOUNDS 



The Carbohydrates. The carbohydrates are repre- 

 sented in the human body mostly as starches and 

 sugars. They contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen, 



