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The composition of the mass of the liver and 

 the spleen has not been examined. It has only 

 been observed, that the liver, when putri tying, 

 so far partakes of the property of the bile, as to 

 be easily changed, under certain circumstances, 

 into a substance resembling adipocere. 



The texture and constituent parts of the bones 

 have only of late been accurately ascertained, 

 although it was discovered, very early, that the} T 

 contained an animal combustible part, and an 

 imorganic earthy part, which, as it did not resem- 

 ble any other earth then known, was called bone- 

 earth, or animal earth. PAPIN, HERISSANT, 

 LESSONE, and above all, HAIXER, have proved, 

 that the combustible part was cartilage, which 

 might be dissolved into a glue by boiling. The 

 nature and composition of bone-earth was disco- 

 vered by a gentleman, whom we have the happi- 

 ness of seeing this day amongst us, I mean our 

 colleague G. GAHN. This, as well as several 

 other of his discoveries, have been ascribed to 

 SCHEEXJE and BERGMAN, because these gentle- 

 men, to whom we were accustomed to ascribe so 

 much, were the first to communicate them to the 



* 



public, though with an unintentional omission of 

 Ins name. It was enough for this modest natural 



