TRANSFORMATIONS OF ORGANIC SUBSTANCES. 71 



from hydrocyanic acid and the elements of water, 

 by various chemical transformations. 



The whole process of nutrition may be understood 

 by the consideration of one of these transformations. 



Hydrocyanic acid and water, for example, when 

 brought into contact with muriatic acid, are decom- 

 posed into formic acid and ammonia ; both of these 

 products of decomposition contain the elements of 

 hydrocyanic acid and water, although in another 

 form, and arranged in a different order. The change 

 results from the strong disposition or struggle of 

 muriatic acid to undergo saturation, in consequence 

 of which the hydrocyanic acid and water suffer 

 mutual decomposition. The nitrogen of the hydro- 

 cyanic acid and the hydrogen of the water unite 

 together and form a base, ammonia, with which the 

 acid unites ; the chemical characters of the acid 

 being at the same time lost, because its desire for 

 saturation is satisfied by its uniting with ammonia. 

 Ammonia itself was not previously present, but only 

 its elements, and the power to form it. The simul- 

 taneous decomposition of hydrocyanic acid and wa- 

 ter in this instance does not take place in conse- 

 quence of the chemical affinity of muriatic acid for 

 ammonia, since hydrocyanic acid and water contain 

 no ammonia. An affinity of one body for a second 

 which is totally without the sphere of its attractions, 

 or which, as far as it is concerned, does not exist, 

 is quite inconceivable. The ammonia in this case is 

 formed only on account of the existing attractive 

 desire of the acid for saturation. Hence we may 

 perceive how much these modes of decomposition, 

 to which the name of transformations or metamorpho' 

 ses has been especially applied, differ from the ordi- 

 nary chemical decompositions. 



In consequence of the formation of ammonia, the 

 other elements of hydrocyanic acid, namely, carbon 

 and hydrogen, unite with the oxygen of the decom- 

 posed water, and form formic acid, the elements of 

 this substance with the power of combination being 



