gg CHEMICAL RESEARCHES ON THE ANIMAL FLUIDS. 



the solution cools. At common temperatures alcohol exerts 

 no action upon them. The taste of their aqueous solution 

 is extremely s-weet. By nitric acid they are converted into 

 a white powder of very small solubility, and havin;^ the pro- 

 perties of saccholactic acid, as described by Mr. Scheele*. 



The form of the crystals I could not accurately ascertain 

 even with the help of considerable magnifiers. In one in- 

 stance they apfieared oblique six-sided prisms, but their 

 terminations were indistinct. 



Some of the crystals, heated upon a piece of platina in the 

 flauje of a spirit lamp, fused, exhaled an odour similar to 

 that of sugar of milk, and burnt away without leaving the 

 smallest perceptible residuum. 

 JDesfrvictive 3. The destructive distillation of the serous part of chyle 



afforded a minute quantity of charcoal, with traces of phos- 

 phate of lime, and of muriate of soda and carbonate of soda. 



4 is I ill a I iou. 



III. Analysis of Lymph, 



Parelymph. The foud found in the thoracic duct of animals that have 

 been kept for twenty-four hours without food is perfectly 

 transparent and colourless, and seems to differ in no respect 

 from that which is contained in the lymphatic vessels. It; 

 may therefore be regarded as pure lymph. 



Its properties. It has the following propertiesf. 



1. It is miscible in every proportion with water. 



2. It produces no change in vegetable colours. 



3. It is coagulated neither by heat, nor acids, nor alco- 

 hol : but is generally rendered slightly turbid by the last 

 reagent, 



4. When evaporated to dryness, the residuum is very small 

 in quantity, and slightly affects the colour of violet paper, 

 changing it to green. 



5. By incineration in a platina crucible the residuum is 

 found to contain a minute portion of muriate of soda; but 

 I could not discover in it the slightest indications of iron. ' 



* Chemical Essays, No. XVII, 



t The term lympb has been applied indiscriminately to the tears, 

 1o the matter of encysted dropsy, and to some other animal fluids.—^ 

 yide Aikiu's Dictionary of Chenpistry and Mineralogy, Art. Lymph. 



6. In 



