Chemistry and Physics. 103 



the same time much moved. The gastric juice thus obtained was almost 

 perfectly clear, scarcely opalescent. The stomach of a dog of the size 

 of a poodle contained from fifteen to forty grms. of a liquid, which flow- 

 ed out spontaneously ; that of a large pointer, from thirty to ninety grms. 

 The fresh gastric juice was poured in;o a shallow broad flask, the mouth 

 of which was closed by a cork, and through this, a glass tube, bent four 

 times at a right angle, was passed ; the latter was covered with nitrate 

 of silver onlts inner side. The apparatus was placed under the air- 

 pump with dry hydrate of potash, and exhaustion then applied. When 

 the gastric juice had been evaporated until it was of a syrupy consist- 

 ence, vapors of muriatic acid were evolved somewhat suddenly, so 

 that the chlorid of silver formed could be determined qualitatively and 

 quantitatively. Treated in this manner, a gastric juice which was but 

 slightly opalescent for instance, yielded 1-808 percent, of solid residue, 

 0-125 per cent, muriatic acid, and 98-067 per cent, of water. This 

 muriatic acid is formed by the decomposing action of the lactic acid at 

 a certain degree of concentration, even in the cold, upon many chlonds, 

 especially those of calcium and magnesium, but not the chlonds of po- 

 tassium and sodium. To prove the presence of the lacuc acvd itself 

 with certainty, the gastric juice was concentrated in vacuo to one-twelfth 

 its volume, the residue mixed with alcohol of 0-85 spec grav., the spir- 

 ituous solutions from several stomachs evaporated to the consistence of 

 a syrup, and the residue exhausted with absolute alcohol. The residue 

 of this was exhausted with ether, and the ethereal extract mixed with 

 water to remove the fat, and filtered. On further concentration, more 

 drops of oil separated from the filtrate ; moreover, the fluid about to 

 be tested still contained muriate of ammonia. The liquid was partly 

 saturated with lime, partly with magnesia, and the salts formed were 

 purified by several recrystallizations from alcohol and water. The 

 magnesian salt, dried at 266° F., and then incinerated, gave 16-666 

 per cent, of magnesia, 61-906 per cent, lactic acid, and 21-428 per 

 cent, water; the formula MgO, La-f3HO requires 16085 per cent, 

 magnesia, 62936 percent, lactic acid, and 20-979 percent, water. In 

 some other experiments, fasting dogs were fed from twenty to forty-five 

 minutes before death with horse-flesh containing but little .fat. A he 

 fluid which flowed spontaneously from the stomach, when filtered, left 

 5-602 per cent, of residue, and thus contained nutritive matters already 

 m solution, which were detected by the copious precipitate produced by 

 alcohol, or the formation of yellowish-brown films on evaporation. 

 The gas t r i c fluid thus obtained yielded no muriatic acid under the air- 

 P^p. From this fluid a magnesian salt was also obtained l. gave 

 16-666 per cent, of magnesia, 62-122 La, and 21-212 HO; L, which 

 *as obtained by exhaulting the contents of the stomach with water, 

 gave 15966 percent. MgO, 62-026 La, and 21/008 per cent, of HO. 

 6- Equivalent number of Titanium, (L'Institut March ■ ?, "»a 

 The equivalent of titanium has been determined from the b«££nd of 

 Uanium by M. Isidore Pierre, Professor at Bordeaux. He . ™£JJ^ D 

 ^series of five experiments, the numbers .314/6 314 Ji, *14«, 



3 84, 309-88; in a second series, 313-41, 31i 30 ;Jf sma U o o- 

 3H-58, 309-41. Operating with the greatest care, some small pro- 



