ON ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS FORMATION. 21 
yellowish-white lumps, and a thick deposit at the bottom of the bottle, gave no evidence 
of crystallization under the microscope with polarized light. The liquid from the eggs 
and from the two heart experiments emitted rather a disagreeable odour, which was 
mingled with an aldehyde smell. 
As decomposition had not advanced to its full extent in these bottles, I preferred setting 
them aside for a future research, when both the solid and the liquid contents will be 
examined. Braconnot’s* analysis of bullock’s heart is as follows :— 
Water, : : ‘ : ‘ : 77:03 
Fibrine, cellular tissue, nerves, vessels, 17-18 
Albumen and colouring matter of the blood, 2:70 
Alcoholic extract and salts, : F g | dlfgye 
Aqueous extract and salts, : F j 1:15 
100-00 
ARTIFICIAL FORMATION OF ADIPOCIRE. 
On December 8th, 1853, a bullock’s heart weighing 1240 grammes, without removing 
its fat, was buried in sand in an inverted tubulated receiver held in a retort stand, and so 
placed against the glass that a portion of it could be seen: a reservoir of water was placed 
above the receiver, and this water was suffered to fall, drop by drop, upon the sand by 
means of a syphon of lamp-wick. The water was removed when necessary, and the 
changes appearing in the heart observed. ‘These changes were the same as in the case of 
the bottled experiments; it began soon to deepen in colour, and on May 11th, 1854, was 
quite dark, while the liquid falling from the receiver contained a black amorphous precipi- 
tate, which is probably, from Liebig’s observation of a similar case, sulphuret of iron. A 
deep zone of green vegetable parasitic matter was visible around the inside of the receiver, 
commencing within half of an inch above the position of the heart where it was deepest 
in colour, and thence diminishing as it approached the surface of the sand. On June 7th, 
the heart was removed and dissected for the purpose of viewing the extent of the decom- 
position: it maintained its original form, but was larger; the separation of the chambers 
was apparent; the valves present and the chordee tendinex in a perfect state; the greater 
part of the fleshy walls of the heart was pinkish, soft, of the consistence of lard, of putrid 
smell, and under the microscope (700 D,) presented an amorphous mass, mingled with 
fragments of crossed muscular fibre. It was not in as advanced a stage of decomposition 
as the bottled hearts of December 15th, 1854. The fat which was purposely left around 
the coronary vessels, was hard, white, and of an appearance approaching that of adipocire. 
The heart was returned to the vessel and the experiment continued. On my return to 
* Ann. de Ch. & de Ph., xvii. p. 390. 
