Fiirtlier Notes on tJoc Cliemical Oomposiiioii of Ejisilage. 21 d 



Dr Eonaldson has recorded in the Edin. Mccl. Jour. (May 

 1881, p. 1035) a case which bears upon this question. It 

 was that of a child in which there was occlusion of the 

 posterior nares by a firm membrane, and which breathed 

 only when it cried, or had its mouth forcibly opened. It 

 died a few hours after birth from asphyxia. On post-mortem 

 examination, this occlusion of the posterior nares was the 

 only pathological condition observed, and Dr Eonaldson 

 attributed the death of the infant to its inability to breath'e 

 through the mouth, the normal air passages being at the 

 same time closed. The death of a cyclops is probably due 

 to the same cause. 



XX. Further Notes on the Chemical Composition of Ensilage. 

 By W. IvisoN Macadam, Esq., F.C.S., F.I.C, etc.. Lec- 

 turer on Chemistry, School of Medicine, and Professor 

 of Chemistry, New Veterinary College, Edinburgh. 



(Read 17th February 1886.) 



In my previous communication on this subject,^ I showed 

 that the proportion of nitrogen found on analysis of the 

 moist ensilage did not represent the albumenoids, for, by 

 drying the sample, a considerable loss of nitrogen was 

 sustained. I therefore proposed that before samples were 

 tested for the true albumenoid nitrogen, they should be first 

 dried so as to expel the volatile ammonia compounds. I 

 further proved that whilst, in many cases, the samples of 

 ensilage as received were acid in character, yet that, not 

 unfrequently, the material was distinctly alkaline. I, there- 

 fore, argued that the changes produced by the silage process 

 would be found to consist of — first, a fermentation develop- 

 ing ammonia at the expense of the albumenoids, and 

 secondly, of an acid fermentation ; and that according as the 

 conditions under which the grass was placed were more or 

 less favourable to the acid or alkaline decomposition, the 

 resulting product would be found to be acid or alkaline in 

 character. 



1 Vol. viii., p. 477, Proc. Roy. Pliy. Soc. Edin. 



