102 PROXIMATE PRINCIPLES OF THE THIRD CLASS. 



8. OSTEDSTE is the organic substance of the bones, in which it is 

 associated with a large proportion of phosphate of lime. It exists, 

 in those bones which have been examined, in the proportion of 

 about two hundred parts per thousand. It is this substance which 

 by long boiling of the bones is transformed into gelatine or glue. 

 In its natural condition, however, it is insoluble in water, even at 

 the boiling temperature, and becomes soluble only after it has been 

 permanently altered by ebullition. 



9. CARTILAGINE. This forms the organic ingredient of cartilage. 

 Like that of the bones, it is altered by long boiling, and is converted 

 into a peculiar kind of gelatine termed "chondrine." Chondrine 

 differs from the gelatine of bones principally in being precipitated 

 by acids and certain metallic salts which have no effect on the latter. 

 Cartilagine, in its natural condition, is very solid, and is closely 

 united with the calcareous salts. 



10. MUSCULINE. This substance forms the principal mass of the 

 muscular fibre. It is semi-solid, and insoluble in water, but soluble 

 in dilute muriatic acid, from which it may be again precipitated by 

 neutralizing with an alkali. It closely resembles albumen in its 

 chemical composition, and like it, contains, according to Scherer, 

 two equivalents of sulphur. 



The four remaining organic substances form a somewhat peculiar 

 group. They are the coloring matters of the body. They exist 

 always in small quantity, compared with the other ingredients, but 

 communicate to the tissues and fluids a very distinct coloration. 

 They all contain iron as one of their ultimate elements. 



11. H^MATINE is the coloring matter of the red globules of the 

 blood. It is nearly fluid like the globuline, and is united with it 

 in a kind of mutual solution, lit is much less abundant than the 

 globuline, and exists in the proportion of about one part of haema- 

 tine to seventeen parts of globuline. The following is the formula 

 for its composition which is adopted by Lehmann : 



Hsematine = C 44 H 22 N 3 6 Fe. 



When the blood-globules from any cause become disintegrated, the 

 haematine is readily imbibed after death by the walls of the blood- 

 vessels and the neighboring parts, staining them of a deep red 

 color. This coloration has sometimes been mistaken for an evidence 



