OTOLITIIES. 429 



The two following analyses have been made by Boudet : 



Fatty liver. Healthy liver. 



Water . . 55-15 76-39 



Solid constituents . 44*85 23*61 



Animal matter dried at 2 1 2 13-32 21-00 



Saponifiable fat . 30-20 1-60 



Cholesterin 1-33 0-17 ] 



The thyroid gland has been analysed by Fromherz and 

 Gugert, and the thymus by Morin. 



The kidneys have been submitted to analysis by Berzelius. 

 From two experiments he concludes that the kidneys are made 

 up of a congeries of minute vessels, and that the tubes contain 

 a very albuminous acid fluid, in which there is no dissolved 

 fibrin, and in which not a trace of urea can be detected. 



[According to Boudet, the parenchyma of the lungs, freed 

 as much as possible from blood and extraneous substances, is 

 formed of the following chemical elements : 1st, a substance 

 susceptible of transformation into gelatin by ebullition in water, 

 (cellular tissue;) 2d, a substance soluble in cold water, pre- 

 cipitated by nitric acid, coagulated by heat, containing albumen 

 and hsematin ; 3d, a substance analogous to casein ; 4th, fibrin ; 

 5th, free oleic and margaric acids ; 6th, oleate and margarate 

 of soda ; 7th, cerebric acid ; 8th, lactic acid ; 9th, cholesterin 

 amounting to '05 of the weight of the lungs dried at 21 2 ; 

 10th, the water amounting to 82. The ash contained a con- 

 siderable quantity of chloride of sodium and sulphate of soda, 

 a small quantity of phosphate and carbonate of lime, and traces 

 of silica and peroxide of iron.] 



Otolithes. 



The membranous labyrinth of the ear contains a rather 

 viscid fluid, which, however, never occurs in sufficient quantity 

 to admit of chemical examination. In this fluid there are found 

 minute six- or eight-sided crystals (otolithes), which, however, 

 are generally so worn at the angles and borders that the crystalline 

 form can be no longer recognized. They appear to consist for 

 the most part of the carbonates of lime and magnesia combined 

 with animal matters, and not unfrequently with phosphates. 



