MUSCULINE. 97 



though, he strangely applies the name crystalline to the immediate 

 principle in the blood-corpuscles, and calls that in the lens globu- 

 line. Hence he terms the mixture of haematine and the other im- 

 mediate principles hsemato-crystalline. We have applied the name 

 haemato-globuline to the same (p. 96). 



In the human crystalline lens, Berzelius found 35.9 per cent, of 

 dry crystalline ; which also contains .241 per cent, of phosphate of 

 lime. It probably also contains phosphate of soda and ammonia. 

 (Lehmann) Some of these salts exist in abnormal amount in case 

 of hard cataract. 



Origin. Crystalline is probably formed from the albumen in the 

 albuminous fluid (aqueous and vitreous humors of the eye), sur- 

 rounding the crystalline lens. 



Uses. Crystalline is a refractive medium in the crystalline lens, 

 as albumen is in the other humors of the eye ; and Chenevix first 

 made the observation that this principle is more concentrated in 

 the central than in the peripheral portions of the lens, to render it 

 achromatic. 



8. Musculine. 



Musculine also called syntonin 1 by Lehmann exists in con- 

 tractile tissue alone, i. e. in both the striated and the non-striated 

 muscular tissue. Its precise amount in human muscle is not yet 

 determined. Most, if not all, that has been called fibrine in muscu- 

 lar tissue is actually musculine. In the ox it constitutes 60 to 85 

 per cent, of the solid portion of the muscles, or 15.4 to 17.7 per cent, 

 of their substance. In the calf it does not amount to more than 50 

 per cent, of the solid matter. 



Musculine is soluble in water containing one-tenth its weight of 

 hydrochloric acid ; blood-fibrine merely swells in this, but does not 

 dissolve. Musculine contains 1.4 per cent, of phosphate of lime, 

 but no iron, while the latter is found in blood-fibrine. 



Musculine is always associated, in muscle, with albumen, creatine, 

 and creatinine, inosic and lactic acids, chloride of sodium and potas- 

 sium, &c.; 2 but these all exist in the muscular juice, which will be 

 discussed in the^chapter on "Contractile (Muscular) Tissue." 



1 From trwTtmtv, to strain. 



2 Scherer has recently found inosite, or musr.le sugar, also in the muscular juice 

 of the heart of the ox. 



7 



