ORIGIN OF THE BILE. 159 



tion, that by the addition of the elements of water, 

 all its carbon is converted into carbonic acid, and all 

 its nitrogen into ammonia. 



1 at. urea C 2 N 2 H 4 O 2 ~^ J"2 at. carbonic acid C 2 O 4 



2 at. water H 2 OJ = '[_2 at. ammonia ... N 2 H 6 



C 2 N 2 H 6 4 C 2 N 2 H 6 4 



61. Were we able directly to produce taurine 

 and ammonia out of uric acid or allantoine, this 

 might perhaps be considered as an additional proof 

 of the share which has been ascribed to these com- 

 pounds in the production of bile ; it cannot, how- 

 ever, be viewed as any objection to the views above 

 developed on the subject, that, with the means we 

 possess, we have not yet succeeded in effecting 

 these transformations out of the body. Such an 

 objection loses all its force, when \ve consider that 

 we cannot admit, as proved, the pre-existence of 

 taurine and ammonia in the bile ; nay, that it is not 

 even probable that these compounds, which are 

 only known to us as products of the decomposition 

 of the bile, exist ready formed, as ingredients of 

 that fluid. 



By the action of muriatic acid on bile, we, in a 

 manner, force its elements to unite in such forms 

 as are no longer capable of change under the influ- 

 ence of the same re-agent; and when, instead of 

 the acid, we use potash, we obtain the same ele- 

 ments, although arranged in another, and quite a 

 different manner. If taurine were present, ready 



