416 ORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 



It has been transferred to it from the vegetable world 

 without material change in composition. Thus the 

 fibre which is required for muscle and fat to fill out the 

 tissues, require only to be built into their places in the 

 animal frame, as a mason lays up a wall from materials 

 provided to his hand. For the production of other 

 animal substances, essential changes are required. The 

 power of selection and appropriation of the proper ma- 

 terials for every organ and every secretion, is found to 

 reside in innumerable minute cells, which are distributed 

 in every part of the body, and are endowed with pecu- 

 liar powers, according to the offices they are designed 

 to fulfill. 



BONES, FLESH, &c. 



1037. BONES. Bones consist of earthy 



What is the J 



composition of matter, and a cartilagenous material com- 

 itThLnr iS monl y known a s gelatine. The bone 

 earth, or mineral matter, is principally 

 phosphate of lime, arid forms in mammiferous animals 

 about two-thirds of the whole weight. The remaining 

 third is cartilage. Either of these constituents may 

 be removed from the bone without effecting its shape. 

 By removal of the cartilage, a brittle, earthy frame- 

 work remains. By removal of the earthy material, a 

 perfectly flexible mass is obtained, of a form entirely 

 similar to that of the original bone. The first change 

 may be effected by long digestion in dilute muriatic acid, 

 and the latter by fire. If in the second process the car- 

 tilaginous matter is not entirely consumed, bone black 



