ON THE ANIMAL VLUfSfe. 4$ 



out chemistry, with seemingly little of anatomical and phy- 

 siological knowledge, as well as of natural history, has me- 

 ritedly acquired the credit of one of the greatest Improvers ; 

 if he could acquire so much without these auxiliaries, it ap- 

 pears according to all reason, that by means of them much 

 more would have been achieved. I might however exem- 

 plify the advantages for which I am contending by the con- 

 duct of Dr. Marcet himself. It appears, that he performed 

 the analysis of two animal fluids, of the component ingre- 

 dients of which he has given an account to the one hundredth 

 part of a grain, without finding potash in any state. Sub- 

 sequently however this alkali was detected in other animal 

 fluids, the author's attention being directed, as he is pleased 

 to say, by my published paper on expectorated matter, and 

 by my conversations* Whether otherwise Dr. Marcet 

 would have found out the potash, let others determine. 

 Notwithstanding the sneering remark of his oance <or 

 two of dropsical liquid being in competition with my two 

 or three pounds of *' ropy sputum," I should be very un- ,. 

 reasonable if l' were not, after this practical proof of the 

 inadequacy of his method, to be well contented. If how- 

 ever instead of treading the primrose path of the new mi- 

 croscopic chemical school, -he had condescended and sub- 

 mitted to the task of labouring in the " large, dismal, 

 subterraneous laboratory ;" if, I say, he had been there em- 

 ployed instead of in dalliance at ** the fireside of his cortw 

 fortable study ;*' I am confident it did not require his talents, 

 to have done much more than nearly confirm the results of 

 my experiments on animal substances. If too I can see the 

 future in the iqstant, it will be only by experiments on very 

 large quantities of the animal fluids, that discoveries will be 

 effected of more of their impregnating ingredients, on ac- 

 count of the very minute proportions in which they exist. 



Dr. Marcet thinks it worth while to disclaim his memoir Why Dr. 

 as the ioint work of Dr. Wollaston and himself. I cannot Wollastonw* 

 » , ,, t • • •■tit i • » . mentioned as 



nave the smallest objection, indeed by this I gain concerned in 



strength to my side ; for the demand of justice alone compel- tbe "aaa^y* 

 led me to consider this writing as I have done. I must 

 however cite a passage for justification. Beside the advan- 

 tages from Dr. Woliaston's writings and conversations Dr. 



Marcet 



