150 PRODUCTION OF HIPPURIC ACID 



nitrogenised constituent of bile, a part of the ele- 

 ments of these bodies must necessarily have com- 

 bined with a nitrogenised compound derived from a 

 compound of proteine. 



In reference to this conclusion, it is quite indif- 

 ferent whether that compound of proteine be de- 

 rived from the food or from the tissues of the body. 



48. It has very lately been stated by A. Ure, 

 that benzoic acid, when administered internally, 

 appears in the urine in the form of hippurie acid. 



Should this observation be confirmed,* it will ac- 

 quire great physiological significance, since it would 

 plainly prove that the act of transformation of the 

 tissues in the animal body, under the influence of 

 certain matters taken in the food, assumes a new 

 form with respect to the products which are its 

 result ; for hippurie acid contains the elements of 

 lactate of urea, with the addition of those of benzoic 

 acid : 



1 at. urea C 2 N 2 H 4 O 2 1 f 



2 at. crystallized hippurie acid 



1 at. lactic acid... C 6 H 4 O 4 \=> 



2 at. benzoic acid C^ H 10 O 6 



H = 2(C 18 NH 9 6 ) 



49. If we consider the act of transformation of 

 the tissues in the herbivora as w r e have done in the 



* The analysis of the crystals deposited from the urine on the 

 addition of muriatic acid has not been performed. Besides, the 

 statement of A. Ure, that hippurie acid, dissolved in nitric acid, 

 is reddened by ammonia, is erroneous, and shews that the crys- 

 tals he obtained must have contained uric acid. 



