148 



ON THE UNCPMBINfiD ALKALI IN ANIMAL FLUIDS. 



publication ; and, I believe, you will agree with me in th« 

 opinion, that they must entirely set the question at rest. 

 I am. Sir, 

 , Your obedient Servant, 



J. BOSTOCK. 

 Knotshole Bank, near Liverpool, 

 Aug.22d, 1812, 



Dr. Marcet to Dr. Bostock. 



London, August the K 



1812. 



Controversy 

 on the alkali 

 in the animal 

 iuids. 



My Dear Friend, 



Why no new 

 data brought 

 forward in the 

 las: letter. 



Source of Dr. 

 BoBtock's 

 doubts on the 

 subject. 



" I feel much indebted to you for the remarks you have 

 made, and the doubts you have expressed, in some of your 

 last letters to me, respecting tlie nature of the uncombined 

 alkali in the incinerated salts of serum j they have in- 

 duced me to reconsider the question, and to add to my former 

 inquiry on that head, a few new results, which, I flatter myself, 

 will remove every shadow of doubt, which may remain on 

 your mind in that respect, 



" In my reply to Dr. Pearson, in March last, I abstained 

 purposely from bringing forvvard any new data, because the 

 chief object of that letter was to vindicate former statements 

 and inferences ; and to show, that there had not been, as was 

 argued by my opponent, any blunder in the mode of reasoning 

 by which I arrived at my conclusions. Indeed, it appeared to 

 me hardly necessary to push the inquiry any farther ; and I 

 must own that, from the manner in which Dr. Pearson had 

 thought proper to carry on the controversy, in his two letters 

 on the subject*, I should have felt great reluctance to resume 

 (he discussion, had it not been for your interference. 



" Your objection, or father your scepticism, arose from your 

 having found in a mass of salts from serum, (by the suc- 

 cessive agency of acetic acid, alcohol, and tartaric acid,) such 

 quantities of potash, as appeared to you to show, that the 

 uncombined alkali was potash, and not soda ; and you were 

 farther confirmed in this belief by observing, that the alka- 



* itee ;tbis Journ?.! fpr February and May last. 



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