THE VITAL PRINCIPLE — THE BLOOD. 25 



gave to it the term of protein, (from the Greek 

 7rpa>Teva>, proteuo, I take the first place,) because 

 he regarded it as the basis of all the other sub- 

 stances, or living tissues. In the same year 

 professor Schleiden, of Jena, " gave the results 

 of his researches on the formation of the cells 

 in plants, and pointed out the existence of a 

 nucleus, or cell bud, from which each cell 

 originated. This nucleus, according to Schleiden, 

 is always composed of protein ; so that it would 

 appear that the protein is the earliest formed 

 of vegetable substances, and is the seat of that 

 residual power which, in the absence of any 

 intimate knowledge of its nature, is called 

 vitality." Protein is composed of carbon forty- 

 eight parts, hydrogen thirty-six, nitrogen, or 

 azote, six, and oxygen fourteen ; but there ap- 

 pears to be some diversity of opinion as to the 

 exact proportions of each of these primary 

 elements ; at the same time, whether this sub- 

 stance be obtained from animal or vegetable 

 matters, analysis proves that very little differ- 

 ence of elementary composition is in either case 

 to be detected. When either albumen or casein, 

 horn, or animal or vegetable fibrin, is dissolved 

 in a solution of potass, and this solution, after 

 filtration, is mixed with a slight excess of acid, 

 a greyish white flocculent precipitate is abun- 

 dantly formed, and a slight smell of hydro- 

 sulphuric acid is perceived. This flocculent 

 substance is protein. It exhibits the following 

 properties : — The white flocculi, while moist, 

 are semi-transparent, but on being dried they 



