98 IMMEDIATE PRINCIPLES OF THE TISSUES. 



Origin. There is no reason to doubt that musculine is formed 

 from the albumen (and albuminose) in the blood. The necessity 

 for admitting that muscular tissue is formed from the blood-fibrine 

 ceases to exist when it is demonstrated that fibrine does not exist 

 in it. And no physiological objection occurs to the idea that albu- 

 men may be directly converted into musculine as readily as into 

 fibrine. How the conversion occurs, in either case, is unknown. 



Uses. Musculine is the main constituent and essential substratum 

 of the contractile (muscular) tissue. It, especially, is endowed with 

 the vital property of contractility, though other immediate principles 

 are doubtless united with it, molecule to molecule, and without which 

 it could not manifest the property just mentioned. It forms the 

 fibrils of striated muscular tissue, and is always bathed in a fluid of 

 an acid reaction, called the muscular juice. The latter, however, 

 results, probably, in great part at least, from the metamorphosis of 

 the musculine ; and since it contains creatine, creatinine, lactic acid, 

 &c., these substances are doubtless the immediate results of its trans- 

 formation. 



Remarks. Fresh muscular fibre, even of inferior quality, nou- 

 rishes an animal indefinitely ; while blood-fibrine, with the addition 

 of soup, nourished only about a month, when the animal refused 

 for three days to take it. (Magendie.) Of the former, 150 to 300 

 parts are better than 1,000 of blood-fibrine, with some albumen 

 added. (Robin and Verdeil.) 



Boiling converts musculine into a substance allied to gelatine; 

 roasting does not. Hence boiled meat is far less nutritious than 

 the same when broiled or roasted. 



Musculine is more abundant in the muscles of the ox and of the 

 common fowl, than in those of the sheep. Hence beefsteak is one 

 of the most nutritious substances for the muscular system of man. 

 It is also much more so than veal, since there is less musculine in 

 the muscles of young animals. 



4. Osteine. 



This is the name given by Kobin and Yerdeil to the still unde- 

 scribed substance from which glutin (or gelatine) is obtained by the 

 action of boiling water; for glutin does not naturally exist in the 

 human body. 



Osteine exists in bone and in white fibrous tissue, wherever found 

 (in tendons, ligaments, the cornea); and in permanent cartilages when 



