and Observations on the component Parts of Membrane. 295 



This precipitate, however, was completely and readily soluble 

 in acetous acid ; and in every respect proved to be phosphate 

 of lime. 



Before I proceed, it will be proper to observe, that the liquor 

 from which the above precipitate was separated, as well as those 

 afforded by the muscle of veal, by the prepared muscle of beef, 

 by the solutions of tortoise-shell and of albumen, in boiling 

 nitric acid, subsequently saturated by ammoniac, all contained 

 a considerable portion of uncombined oxalic acid, which was 

 separated by acetite of lime, and of lead. But I did not find 

 oxalic acid in the solutions formed by immersing these bodies, 

 for a long time, in cold and dilute nitric acid ; neither did I find 

 oxalic acid in solutions made by dissolving these substances 

 in boiling muriatic acid. It is evident, therefore, that the oxalic 

 acid observed in the above experiments, was a product of the 

 operations, and not an educt of the substances. 



We may conclude, from the experiments on the muscular 

 substances which have been lately mentioned, that they con- 

 tain lime, in various proportions, and in two different states, 

 viz. carbonate and phosphate ; and that the greater part 

 of the latter is gradually separated, in conjunction with the 

 gelatin, by means of boiling water. I would not however 

 have it understood, that phosphate of lime is an essential 

 ingredient in gelatinous substances ; for, on the contrary, 

 isinglass, which is a perfectly gelatinous body, affords but a 

 mere visible trace of it. The muscular fibre of beef appears to 

 have been nearly deprived of its phosphate of lime, by the long 

 continued and repeated boiling in water to which it had been 

 subjected ; but still so large a quantity of lime remained, that 

 when oxalic acid was formed by the action of the boiling 



