70 Marcet On the Peritoneal Fluid of Nematode Entozoa. [Feb. 9, 



absolutely colloid or crystalloid properties, and a small proportion of colloid 

 having probably found its way tbrough the membrane. 



The dry colloid residue was incinerated, and found to contain 1 - 9 per cent, 

 of ashes, which is so small a proportion as to show that very nearly the 

 whole of the inorganic constituents of the fluid had passed through th3 

 membrane of the dialyzer. 



The Crystalloid Fluid. This consisted of the solution in distilled water 

 of those constituents of the ascaris-fluid which had found their way through 

 the diaphragm of the dialyzer. It contained no albumen but some organic 

 matters, and very nearly the whole of the inorganic salts of the original 

 fluid. Evaporated nearly to dryness, a mass of crystals appeared after a 

 lapse of time in the thick residue. Apart of the residue being ignited left 

 a large proportion of ash, which was found to consist neafly entirely of 

 phosphoric acid and potash. The aqueous solution of the ash reacted 

 strongly alkaline, and emitted no carbonic acid when tested with a mineral 

 acid, showing that there existed more phosphoric acid than was necessary 

 to combine with the whole of the bases present. The absence of sulphates, 

 of more than traces of chlorides, and of lime was very remarkable ; there 

 might have been some soda present, but potash greatly predominated. 

 There is no record in my note-book as to the presence or absence of mag- 

 nesia. 



I now submitted to examination a solution in distilled water of the crys- 

 talloid residue. It reacted acid ; the addition of a solution of nitrate of 

 silver gave an abundant white precipitate with a slight yellow tinge, the 

 fluid being acid before and after precipitation. There was therefore but a 

 small proportion of common tribasic phosphate of potash present, and there 

 appeared to be a much larger proportion of the bibasic phosphate ; the for- 

 mer giving a yellow, and the latter a white precipitate with nitrate of silver. 

 I finally determined the fatty matters present in a given weight of the 

 original fluid, and found that 1000 parts of the ascaris-fluid contained 5'1 

 parts of fat. 



Conclusions. 



We may conclude from this inquiry that nutrition in the nematode 

 worms can be carried on by means of a fluid containing few other substances 

 besides albumen and phosphate of potash. If we now consider that the 

 principal constituent of juice of flesh is phosphate of potash, both tribasic 

 and bibasic, that the ascaris- and flesh-fluid are both acid, that in both 

 fluids there is a very small quantity of chlorides with but very little or no 

 soda and little or no lime, we shall be able to draw a very interesting par- 

 allel between the assimilation in the highest and lowest animals. 



