in the hitestines of living Animals, 1^5 



the four days, but becoming slightly putrid, and there was no 

 appearance of fat whatever. 



Exp, 2. A similar experiment to that with the human bile, 

 was made with a small portion of beef, and ox's bile, and the 

 results were exactly similar. 



Exp. 3. The last experiment was repeated in the tempera- 

 ture of 6o^ In four days the beef became slightly fetid, and 

 of a yellow colour; in six days it became more fetid, but there 

 was no appearance of fatty matter. 



Exp. 4. A portion of beef cut into pieces was digested in 

 ox*s bile, at the temperature of 3 00^ At the end of the fourth 

 day the putrefaction was more advanced than in Experiment 

 2 ; the beef was washed and heated upon paper, but no greasy 

 stain was produced. 



From these experiments we learn, that the bile has a 

 power of converting animal substance into fat ; and that the 

 temperature of 100°, or nearly so, is necessary for that pro- 

 cess. We learn also, that this change is produced just as 

 putrefaction is beginning to take place, and if the substance 

 goes rapidly into putrefaction, no fat is formed, and, what is 

 deserwng of observation, the peculiar smell belonging to 

 faeces, so different from that of putrid matter, is produced at 

 the time that fat is procured. 



Having succeeded in changing animal matter into fat, by 

 adding bile to it out of the bDdy, I was desirous of ascertaining 

 whether this process could be detected going on in the human 

 intestines, and being in attendance upon a gentleman of an 

 advanced age, who had been six days without an evacuation 

 from the bowels, confined to bed by the gout, I did not let 

 slip the opportunity of his having a very costive stool deeply 



MDCCCXIII. Y 



