238 REVIEW.-BRIDGEWATER TREATISES, NO. 8. 
fluid of an intermediate character, adapted for becoming a part 
of the general mass of the blood. 
The character, however, of the fluid, when it becomes part of 
the blood, though albuminous, is still very weak ; or, in other 
words, the fluid consists of albumen holding a large proportion 
of water in a state of essential combination. By a beautiful ar¬ 
rangement, as soon as this weak albuminous fluid is mingled 
with the blood, it is hurried through the lungs, where it under¬ 
goes a remarkable change. In the lungs, the water, which is 
an essential union wdth the weak albuminous matter of the chyle, 
is separated and expelled along with the carbonic acid gas, 
that is continually escaping from these organs ; and, at the 
same time, the w^eak and delicate albuminous matter of the 
chyle is converted into the strong and firm albuminous matter 
of the blood. 
We must refer the reader who wishes for a more minute in¬ 
formation on the subject, to the work itself. 
The following short table exhibits the relative proportions of 
the constituence of human blood to each other, as they exist in 
most individuals:— 
One thousand parts of human blood contain 
Of water. 783,37 
Fibrin . 2,83 
Albumen. 67,25 
Colouring matters . 126,31 
Fatty matters, in various states. 5,16 
Various undefined animal matters and salts 15,08 
1000,00 
The reader will not fail to remark that, among these con¬ 
stituent principles of the blood, gelatine is not mentioned. In 
fact,” says the author, though existing most abundantly in 
various animal structures, gelatine is never found in the hlood, or 
in any product of glandular secretion.’’ The author then pro¬ 
ceeds to plain that gelatine ranks lower than albumen in the scale 
of organized substances; that a given weight of gelatine con¬ 
tains, at least, three or four per cent, less carbon than an equal 
weight of albumen. The production of gelatine from albumen 
must, therefore, be a reducing process. 
We are now brought to consider the process of respiration. 
The blood, in its course through the lungs, emits carbonic acid gas, 
and assumes a florid arterial colour. At the same time, accord¬ 
ing to the principles of gaseous diffusion, the blood absorbs in 
the lungs a portion of oxygen from the air of the atmosphere. 
The oxygen thus absorbed remains in some peculiar state of 
union with the blood (query, as oxygenated water, or some ana- 
