292 Mr. G. S. Johnson. 



chloride method in examining the bases in the juice of flesh, I will 

 now describe the details of my experiments, in which both bacterial 

 action, and change due to chemical agents have been avoided as far as 

 possible. 



The two experiments described above were made with ordinary 

 butcher's meat; and, although the substance was not of course 

 grossly putrid, I had no precise knowledge of the date of the death 

 of the animals which supplied it, and consequently no knowledge of 

 the duration of exposure of the flesh to aerial, i.e., to bacterial, 

 influences. 



I was enabled to overcome this difficulty, and to avoid this uncer- 

 tainty, by the kind help of Professor G. T. Brown, who volunteered to 

 obtain for me a healthy animal at the Royal Veterinary College, and 

 to allow me to commence my experiments in the chemical laboratory 

 at that institution. 



Experiment, commenced at the Royal Veterinary College. 



A healthy cow was killed at 10.45 A.M. on Thursday, January 3, 

 1889. 



I am indebted to Professor G. T. Brown for the following account 

 of the mode in which the animal was killed : " The cow was killed 

 by an expert slaughterman from the Metropolitan Abattoirs at 

 Islington. As your object was to free the system from blood as 

 quickly and completely as possible, the animal was rendered uncon- 

 scious by a single blow from the poleaxe, and instantly the large 

 vessels emerging from the front of the chest were divided. The 

 death of the cow was almost instantaneous." 



Professor Brown examined the internal organs, and assured me 

 that he had found no trace of organic disease in any of them. 



The flesh was removed at once from the carcass, and brought to 

 me whilst still warm. 



After chopping some of it finely, I endeavoured to express juice 

 from it with my specially constructed screw press, but not a drop 

 could be obtained. It, therefore, became necessary to add water to 

 the macerated muscle. 



30 Ib. (= 13'62 kilograms) of the finely-chopped flesh was minced 

 thoroughly by kneading with the fingers with 5 litres (5 kilograms) 

 of water. This was done at 12 noon January 3. At 3 P.M. on the 

 afternoon of the same day the expression of the juice was commenced, 

 and was completed at 5.30 P.M., i.e., rather less than seven hours after 

 the death of the animal. In all 2500 c.c. of a red liquid was squeezed 

 out, mixed with 3750 c.c. of a solution of mercuric chloride, saturated 

 at 15 C., and filtered immediately. Both precipitate and filtrate were 

 of course preserved. From this time onwards the substances obtained 



