ANIMAL FLt/ID3, 145 



afterwards to search for the muriate of scda, by applying the 

 test of the nitrate of silver. The nitrate of silver itself, al- 

 though it scarcely porduces any effect upon a sdlu^-ion of veg« • 

 table gum, when it is added to saliva, throws do-.vn a very co- 

 pious precipitate, partly of a dense pov/der, and partly of a" 

 flocculent matter : This, I apprehend, proceeds from its acting 

 both upon the mucus and the muriate of soda. The nitro-rau^ 

 riates of tin and of gold do not decompose common salt, but 

 they precipitate albumen as well as mucus, and on this account 

 cannot be employed. The only way of proceeding that I have Indirect me- 

 been hitherto able to employ is to discover the quantity of al- 

 bumen and of jelly by the methods mentioned above, and after 

 deducting their weight from the whole of the solid contents, to 

 consider the remainder as mucus; but here we are necessarily 

 confounding the mucus and the salts. After this statement, I 

 need not add that the subject still reqtiires farther elucidation. 



I have attcmptedj in a few cases, to apply riiy ideas respect- Exsminatiori 



inff the analysis of animal fluids to the actual examination of °^.^"™^ °!'!^r 

 ° -^ annual fluids rjy 



some substances, and shall now proceed to detail my experi- these methods. 

 ments. I must premise that, in the two first analyses, the 

 small quantity upon which 1 was obliged to operate prevented 

 me from determining the proportion of the ingredients as accu- 

 rately as I could have wished. I have nevertheless inserted 

 them, as these fluids are not at all times to be procured. 



The first set of experiments which I performed Were upon tJisoharg^e from 

 the fluid discharged, by puncturing a tumour formed on the ^ "^°"''- 

 spine in the disease which is usually called spina bifida. 



1. The fluid was colourless, slightly opake, and gelatinous, 

 of a specific gravity, scarcely differing from that of water, and 

 insipid. 



2. It did not affect either litmus or an infusion of mallows. 



3. A hundred grains of the fluid were slowly evaporated ; a 

 residuum was left of 2.2 grains only. 



4. When kept for some time at the temperature of boiling 

 water^ its opacity was slightly increased, but it did not exhibit 

 aiiy tendency to coagulation. 



5. A saturated solution of the oximuriate of mercury, when 

 first added, produced but little effect ; after some time, how- 

 ever, an inconsiderable precipitate was thrown dov,-n. 



Vol. XiV^—JuNE, 1806". U 6\ In^ 



