524 AND VARIOUS SECRETIONS. 



neys, muscles, ligaments, tendons, cartilages, 

 membranes, bones, &c. ; all of which are gene- 

 rated from the albuminous, fibrinous, oily, and 

 saline constituents of the blood ; which is formed 

 by the immediate union of oxygen, hydrogen, 

 carbon, and nitrogen, into quaternary combina- 

 tions. Most of the fluids secreted by animals, 

 such as gastric juice, bile, mucus, pancreatic 

 and seminal liquor, are also quaternary com- 

 pounds. But they also secrete several combi- 

 nations that are ternary, as the sugar of milk 

 and urine, fat, resin, and the volatile oily matters 

 termed civit and castor. On the other hand, 

 there are many plants that contain nitrogen, 

 which is abundant in mushrooms, and has been 

 recently discovered in the vegetable salifiable 

 bases, as morphine, narcotine, veratrine, solanine, 

 delphine, emetine, quinine, cinchonine, pollenine, 

 and some other like compounds. From which 

 it is obvious, that the more complicated organi- 

 zation of animals than of plants, is not owing 

 merely to the greater complexity of their ele- 

 mentary composition, as will further appear 

 hereafter. Yet there cannot be a doubt, that 

 the structure and functions of all organized 

 bodies are determined by the chemical constitu- 

 tion and fundamental properties of their ultimate 

 elements, which are modified by every increase 

 or diminution in the quantity of caloric around 

 their atoms. 



