1863.] 403 



It is worthy of particular observation, that fibrin was formed in the 

 liquid which still contained ammonia in appreciable quantity. 



My father suggested to me that it would be desirable to try the 

 effect of the decomposition of water by electricity on albumen, as by 

 that process the effect of hydrogen and oxygen in a nascent state is 

 presented to different parts of the same fluid. For the purposes of 

 this experiment I employed four cells (of the test-tube form) of 

 Smee's battery, in which the negative pole consisted of a platinized 

 platinum wire. This battery generated a continuous, but feeble, 

 current of electricity ; and the smallest perceptible bubbles were 

 evolved from the platinized platinum wire when in operation for the 

 experiment. 



The albumen was placed in the decomposition trough, where a 

 very large positive pole was employed, but a smaller negative one, 

 and the temperature was maintained as in former experiments. After 

 the passage of the electric current for some time, the positive pole of 

 the decomposition cell was coated with a hard gelatinous mass, which, 

 being immersed in water at 90 Fahr. for a few hours, unravelled 

 itself into long fibres, which had, under the microscope, the appear- 

 ance of fibrin. 



On the negative pole, however, a frothy deposit alone was formed ; 

 but great care must be taken to stop the experiment before the pro- 

 ducts of the two poles grow together, to which they have a great 

 tendency. The moment this takes place the albumen begins to 

 coagulate, and in a very short time the whole becomes converted into 

 an almost semisolid mass. The fibrin is not so perfect when made 

 by this method, and is much more difficult to form than when made 

 from neutral or slightly acid albumen by the ordinary process of 

 oxidation. 



In my experiments with egg-albumen to which a solution of 

 potass had been added before it was subjected to the action of oxygen, 

 the temperature ranging between 95 and 110 Fahr., no fibrin was 

 found when the experiment was stopped. 



In one case oxygen was passed through a solution of potass and 

 albumen for three days and nights, and yet not the slightest trace of 

 fibrin was found. The albumen became of a dark red hue, but two 

 days after the experiment ceased it resumed its normal colour. A 

 few transparent hard substances were found, insoluble in water and 



