ON ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS FORMATION. 19 
The adipocire therefore appears to be a lime soap of one of the fatty acids, with a trace 
of phosphate of lime and with flocculent organic matter, or in per centage approximatively, 
Fatty acids and a little colouring matter, . 86°31 
Lime and a trace of phosphate, . : . 10-10 
Flocculent organic matter, ; : 5 |) Base) 
100-00 
If the organic matter be neglected and the per centage then calculated, we will have, | 
Fatty acids, 6 : 89-5 
Lime, é : ; 10-5 
100-0 
Now Stearate, Margarate and Palmitate of Lime, respectively contain a per centage of 
9-3-9:7—10-2, of lime, so it is reasonable to suppose (as there is nothing in its reaction 
contrary, but everything favourable to this supposition) that the fossil adipocire is a neu- 
tral lime soap of the usual fatty acids of tallow. 
Experiments upon the decomposition of muscular fibre (bullock’s heart) with water, with a view 
to the formation of adipocire. 
A portion of raw, and one of boiled muscular fibre from bullock’s heart, were on March 
8th, 1854, placed with water upon a microscope slide, and covered with thin glass, which 
was closed with sealing wax around the edge to prevent evaporation. This was repeat- 
edly observed during the year, and the attention was directed at times to particular fibres 
the better to watch any change. At the commencement of the experiment, the cross- 
markings of the fibre were distinct and the fibre itself was of a delicate rose-colour. I find in 
my notes of April 8th, and May 11th, that no change presented itself in either the raw or 
in the boiled fibre, except that the cross-markings were more distinct. On December 6th, 
1854, but very little change was noticed, (the raw fibre was whiter,) the cross-markings in 
both were more distinct than ever; by high powers an amorphous precipitate was discovered 
in the neighbourhood of some of the fibres—about one third of the water had evaporated. 
A. On November 14th, 1853, 100 grammes of cheese were placed in a loosely stoppered 
bottle, and covered with distilled water, a portion of the same cheese being reserved for 
comparison: the water was renewed as it evaporated. 
Ba. On November 19th, 1853, one half of a bullock’s heart, weighing 673 grammes, was 
placed, covered with Schuylkill water, in a wide-mouthed stoppered bottle. 
Bb. The remaining half of the heart, weighing 816 grammes, was covered with mineral 
water with lemon syrup. It was intended to use plain mineral water in this experiment, 
that is, Schuylkill water saturated with carbonic acid, but the former was sent by a 
