GIZZARD OF FOWLS. 207 



This aqueous folution gave a precipitate on the addition of 

 iime-water, or muriate of lime or of barytes, as well as of 

 iome acids. The precipitate obtained by lime-water may be 

 rediffolved by the addition of more water, which proves that 

 tlie mixture had not become truly faponaceous, but that the 

 potath had merely dilfolved the animal matter. 



F. The aftion of certain metallic folutions on the liquor of 

 frefti gizzard was more or lefs perceptible, according to the 

 facility with which the metal communicated its oxigen to the 

 animal matter. 



Nitrates of mercury and of filver, for example, were de~ 

 compofed, but the precipitates obtained by the a6tion ot 

 thefe falts upon gelatine and the extra6l, quickly turned black, 

 particularly that of mercury, and they were no longer ioluble 

 in nitric acid. The oxides had, therefore communicated a 

 part of their oxigen to the gelatine and the extradive 

 matter, which were thus united to the mercury, now ap- 

 proaching a metalline ftate, 



Oxigenated muriate of mercury was not decoirjpofed in this 

 wanner. Thecircumftances, in faft, were no longer alike : the 

 excefs of oxigen which it contains fufficing to Oxigenate the 

 two fubftances. Here the precipitate was very little coloared, 

 and the metallic fait was only reftored to the ftate of mild 

 mercurial muriate. 



Some Other metallic folutions produced in the liquor of 

 frelh gizzard only gelatinous flakes ; fuch are the acetate ot 

 lead, and the fulphate of copper and iron. 



G. Aqueous tincture of nutgall changed the liquor into a 

 kind of jelly. 



I have thought thefe experiments fufficient for demonftrating Experiments on 

 the nature of thofe fubflances which were capable of folution **"^S'««*r<^' 

 in water; yet as gizzard is not adminiftered in its frefti ftate, 

 but undergoes a procefs which might caufe a variation in the 

 foregoing refults, I again examined it in this latter point of 

 view. 



In dryiiig the gizzard, I followed the prefcription already 

 cited of M. Pia, and obtained a fubftance exaftly anfwering 

 his defcription, 



A. Reduced to powder, its tafte was infipid, yet partaking 

 ftrongly of an animal flavour ; its colour was a whitifti grey. 

 Q 2 B. The 



