THE FOETAL INTESTINES AND LIVER. 
125 
intestines substances have been found similar in character to those contained 
in the intestines of children, in whom no such malformation had existed 
Note by Dr . Prout. 
The principal chemical facts ascertained by me having been introduced by 
Dr. Lee in the preceding paper, it only remains that I should briefly state the 
manner in which these facts were determined. 
The most unequivocal test of the presence of albuminous matter that I am 
acquainted with, is the prussiate of potash assisted by dilute acetic acid, as 
first recommended by Berzelius ; and this accordingly was the test on which 
the chief reliance was placed in my experiments. But the presence of albu- 
minous matter was also satisfactorily indicated by other means ; as by heat, by 
the oxymuriate of mercury, &c. Besides the albuminous matters, however, it 
may be proper to mention that others were present, to which this term, even 
in its most extended sense, could not be strictly applied, and for which in the 
present state of animal chemistry, it was difficult to find a precise term ; a large 
proportion of them appeared to be nearly allied to mucus and bile, though they 
did not exactly agree with these principles as they occur in the adult state. 
I cannot close this note without observing how forcibly I was struck by the 
close resemblance between the phsenomena, as above described, and those 
presented by the intestinal canal, when the processes of digestion and assimi- 
lation are known to be going on ; and that I cannot at present conceive any 
other source from whence the matters in question can be derived, than the 
hepatic system as supposed by Dr. Lee. 
W. P. 
se rapprocherait de celle de l’adulte. Cette hypothese, d’apres laquelle l’ecoulement du mucus serait 
du a I irritation des membranes muqueuses par la bile, est ingenieuse, mais peu probable. Elle obli- 
gerait, en effet, a admettre que le tube alimentaire exerce deux actions totalement differentes a 
l’egard du mucus, l’une en vertu de laquelle ce mucus est forme, et l’autre qui a pour but de le 
transformer ensuite et de le convertir en chyle.” 
