142 



ANIMAL FLUIUS. 



contains ox! 

 muriate : 



both these methods^ i. c. by subjecting the fluid to the boiling 

 tompei^ture, after the addition of a requisite quantity of the 

 'oximuriate of mercury. That we may be assured that a swffi- 

 dent quantity of the metallic salt has been employed, it is ne- 

 cessary that it be added a httle in excess; a circumstance which 

 msty be easily ascertained, by observing whether the filtered 

 iui<l possess the power of precipitating a fresh solutioQ of 

 albujpapn. 

 The precipitatei The precipitate produced by the joint operation of caJoric 

 and the oxi muriate of mercuiy is a com|>ound of albumen and 

 the metallic salt ; so that, before we can ascertain the quantity 

 of the former, it will be necessary to learn in what proportion 

 they are disposed to combine with each other. But this pointy 

 simple as it may appear, is not unattended with difficulty; k 

 is not easy to collect and detach from the filter a substance of 

 ?his peculiar texture ; and much nicety is requisite i« the subse-. 

 quent drying, so that all the moisture may be complelely -c -ipel- 

 led, and yet that the substance should not experience any ccm- 

 mcncement of decomposition. Making the experiment with thei 

 requisite precautions, it appeared to me that albumen, whea 

 coagulated by the addition of the OKimuriate of mercury, 

 unites itself to betM-ecn I and i of iss weight of the salt. If this, 

 estimate be confirmed by more extensive experiments, it will be 

 easy to calculate, with tolerabie accuracy, the quantity oi al- 

 bumen in any compound animal Huid, by employir^g a solution 

 of the oximuriatc of mercury of aknown strength, and observing 

 what quantity it is necessary to saturate a given quantity of the 

 body under examination. If, for example, we find that lOO 

 grains of the fluid require 6o grains of a solution contain- 

 ing ~-Q of its weight of the oximurij^te of mercury, it will follow. 



— quaotfty. 



Tbennroagula- 

 ble pait of 

 white of egg is 

 inacus. 



Before I leave the subject of albumen. I shall make some re- 

 marks upon the uncoagulable part of the white of the egg. 1 

 found it very generally to constitute about |: of the weight of 

 the whole solid contents, as stated in my former essay. A solu- 

 tion of this substance, in about 100 times its weight of water, 

 was not effected by the addition of the oximuriate of mercury. 

 Of the decoction of galls, but a single drop of the aqua lithar- 

 gyri acetati threw down a copious precipitate. I gradually 

 evaporated the fluid, and occasionall}' stopped the process when 



it 



