S56 POISONS, CONTAGIONS, MIASMS. 



unites with their constituents, ami converts their hydrogen into 

 water, and their carbon into carbonic acid. Part of this latter 

 product (1 or 2 equivalents) remains in combination with the 

 alkaline base, forming a salt which suffers no further change by 

 the process of oxidation ; and it is this salt which is separated by 

 the kidneys or liver. 



It is manifest that the presence of these organic salts in the 

 blood must produce a change in the process of respiration. A 

 part of the oxygen inspired, which usually combines with the 

 constituents of the blood, must, when they are present, combine 

 with their acids, and thus be prevented from performing its 

 usual office. The immediate consequence of this must be the 

 formation of arterial blood in less quantity, or, in other words, 

 the process of respiration must be retarded. 



Neutral acetates, tartrates, and citrates placed in contact with 

 the air, and at the same time with animal or vegetable bodies in 

 a state of eremacausis, produce exactly the same effects as ws 

 have described them to produce in the lungs. They participate 

 in the process of decay, and are converted into carbonates just as 

 in the living body. If impure solutions of these salts in water 

 are left exposed to the air for any length of time, their acids are 

 gradually decomposed, and at length entirely disappear. 



Free mineral acids, or organic acids without volatility, and 

 salts of mineral acids with alkaline bases, completely arrest 

 decay when added to decaying matter in sufficient quantity ; 

 and when their quantity is small, the process of decay is pro- 

 tracted and retarded. They produce in living bodies the same 

 phenomena as the neutral organic salts, but their action depends 

 upon a different cause. 



The absorption by the blood of a quantity of an inorganic salt 

 sufficient to arrest the process of eremacausis in the lungs, is 

 prevented by a very remarkable property of all animal mem- 

 branes, skin, cellular tissue, muscular fibre, &c. ; namely, bv 

 their incapability of being permeated by concentrated sa'ine 

 solutions. It is only when these solutions are diluted fo a 

 certain degree with water that they are absorbed by animal 

 tissues. 



A dry bladder remains more or less dry in saturated soiu* 



