CONSTITUENTS OF BLOOD. 41 



Fibrine and albumen, besides having the same com- 

 position, agree also in this, that both dissolve in con- 

 published his admirable papers, while Liebig and his pupils at Giessen 

 had confirmed and extended the conclusions of Mulder, and Liebig 

 himself had made the important deductions on which the present 

 work is founded, and had, as we have seen, publicly taught them in 

 the winter of 1840-41. 



It is impossible to speak too highly of the labors of Boussingault, 

 and accordingly, Liebig, in the present volume, has availed himself 

 of them, with the fullest acknowledgment. It is only to be regretted 

 that that eminent chemist, in the work already mentioned, published 

 along with Dumas, should not have done the same justice to his 

 distinguished German contemporary. 



Finally, on a careful review of the above facts, it cannot be doubt- 

 ed, that, as in the case of the Agricultural Chemistry, our author 

 was the first to advance those views, founded as well on the experi- 

 ments of others as on his own, which have for the first time given a 

 consistent shape to Physiological Chemistry. These views being 

 once published, nothing is easier than to attach a meaning to older 

 observations and remarks, which even their authors had allowed to 

 fall into oblivion from not perceiving their true bearing; and every 

 great advance in science is sure to draw on its author similar charges 

 of plagiarism. The voice of posterity, however, never fails to de- 

 clare itself in favor of the true discoverer, and Liebig will not lose 

 the honor to which he is so justly entitled. 



The conduct of the French chemists in regard to the observations 

 of Denis, is a clear proof, that, previous to the time when Liebig's 

 views reached Paris, they had not formed any distinct opinions on 

 these important points. In fact, it is universally known, that during 

 that period, M. Dumas, who now steps forward to claim a share in 

 discoveries, the value of which he, along with all chemists, now fully 

 appreciates, was occupied with researches, interesting indeed, but 

 of far less value and importance, on his favorite theory of substi- 

 tutions. Indeed, up to the publication of the paper on air, with 

 M. Boussingault, in 1841, M. Dumas had not appeared at all in the 

 interesting field now in question ; whereas, previous to that period, 

 the views of Liebig were matured. 



We could easily prove, by the internal evidences of M. Dumas's 

 writings, that his views are borrowed from Liebig ; as, for example, 

 his formula for fibrine and albumen, the origin of which was un- 

 known to him. But we have done enough to show how groundless 

 the charge of plagiarism against Liebig is. 



4* 



