and Observations on the component Parts of Membrane. 401 



was sufficiently evaporated and cooled,) approached and re- 

 sembled gelatin. 



It would be perhaps too hasty to assert, that gelatin was thus 

 absolutely formed; but, if a substance so very similar to it 

 could be thus produced, we may with some reason conclude, 

 that the real gelatin, with its various modifications, is formed 

 from albumen, by the more efficacious and delicate operations of 

 nature. 



In attempting to prove that albumen or the coagulating lymph 

 is the original animal substance, I have hitherto only stated 

 chemical facts ; but, when the phsenomena attending incubation 

 are considered ; when the experiments made by eminent physio- 

 logists, such as Haller, Maitre Jean, and Malpighi, are 

 viewed; when the oviparous foetus is seen to be progressively 

 formed in and from the albumen of the egg, so that, upon the 

 bursting of the shell which separated it from external matter, 

 the young animal comes forth complete in all its parts ; when 

 such strong facts as these are corroborated by those afforded 

 by chemistry, it can scarcely be doubted that albumen is the 

 primary animal substance, from which the others are derived ; 

 and there is much cause to believe that the formation of gelatin, 

 and of the animal fibre especially, begins with the process of 

 sanguification in the foetus. 



As the three principal and essential component parts of the 

 blood, viz. albumen, gelatin, and fibre,* appear therefore to 



• The whole of the blood, which by anatomists is divided into serum, red globules, 

 and coagulating lymph, when chemically examined, is found to consist of albumen, 

 gelatin, and fibre. The serum which remains liquid after the coagulation of the blood, 

 is composed of albumen, gelatin, some saline matter, and much water. 



The clot or crassamentum also affords, by repeated washing, a large proportion of 



3 F 2 



