No. 144.] 409 



edly detected in the blood of animals poisoned with them, and 

 calomel, though quite insoluble in water, is well known some- 

 times to come out through the skin in some form, capable of tar- 

 nishing gold. Thus we see that certain inorganic substances do 

 form the basis of those chemical compounds known as animal and 

 vegetable tissue, while many others may enter into their compo- 

 sition for certain remedial or poisonous purposes. Yet it is true 

 that in that diseased condition of the bones which is attended 

 with a deficiency of mineral basis increasing the amount of lime 

 in the food, has not been attended with that favorable result 

 which was at one time anticipated. This is accounted for on the 

 hypothesis that the disease is primarily a disease of assimilation, 

 and connected with imperfect digestion. 



When we compare those chemical constituents of plants that are 

 elicited on proximate analysis, such as starch, gum, sugar, vege- 

 table albumen, cassein, &c., with the proximate elements of the 

 composition of animals, such as fat, nervous substances, muscle 

 and blood, we shall observe a correspondence, one may almost 

 say, an identity of composition between the food and the feeder. 



This chemical connection is well known to exist between the 

 dressed flesh of certain animals and the food on which they have 

 been fattened. Beach nut fed pork differs from potato fed, or 

 milk fed, or corn fed pork. The flavor and quality of butter is 

 well known to depend on the grass on which the cow has been 

 ted, and that of certain favored districts bears the highest price. 

 The flesh of wild animals has a different flavor from that of the 

 domesticated, and of course must have been in a diflerent condi- 

 tion during life. Do corresponding differences exist in the 

 chemical nature of the flesh of the different varieties of men 1 

 The Ethiopian is known to possess a peculiar odor, and the Call- 

 fornians allege that the Chinese have a fish-like smell. 



A close relation exists the world over between the Floras 

 and the Faunas in their geographical distribution, and thig 

 connection can be shown to exist between the distribution of cer- 

 tain grains and civilized man; so that the progress of science and 

 art in the history of the world is the record of the progress of the 



