336 POISONS, CONTAGIONS, MIASMS. 



When solutions of these salts are treated with a 

 sufficient quantity of albumen, milk, muscular 

 fibre, and animal membranes, they enter into com- 

 bination with those substances, and lose their own 

 solubility ; while the water in which they were dis- 

 solved loses all the salt which it contained. 



The salts of alkaline bases extract water from 

 animal substances ; whilst the salts of the heavy 

 metallic oxides are, on the contrary, extracted from 

 the water, for they enter into combination with the 

 animal matters. 



Now, when these substances are administered to 

 an animal, they lose their solubility by entering 

 into combination with the membranes, cellular 

 tissue, and muscular fibre ; but in very few r 

 cases can they reach the blood. All experiments 

 instituted for the purpose of determining whether 

 they pass into the urine have failed to detect 

 them in that secretion. In fact, during their pas- 

 sage through the organism, they come into contact 

 with many substances by which they are retained. 



The action of corrosive sublimate and arsenious 

 acid is very remarkable in this respect. It is 

 known that these substances possess, in an eminent 

 degree, the property of entering into combination 

 with all parts of animal and vegetable bodies, ren- 

 dering them at the same time insusceptible of 

 decay or putrefaction. Wood and cerebral sub- 

 stance are both bodies which undergo change with 

 great rapidity and facility when subject to the 



