1806.} 
liquor at firft acquired an orange-colour, 
afterwards it became turbid, and depofit- 
ed a {mall quantity of orange-red powder. 
On diftillation, this mixture afforded a 
clear liquor, without colour, of a rancid 
{mel], containing a little ammonia, pro- 
hably formed by the nitric acid. An- 
other part of the liqucr was concentrated, 
and flattith cryftals were formed in a thick 
meother-water, the tenacity of which was 
fimilar to that of a folution.of gum. This 
mother water poffeffed an acid bitter 
talte, and on the addition of a little cauf- 
tic potafh it became red : mixed with al- 
cohol it depofited a winte flaky fediment, 
which formed i:fe]f into fome tran{parent 
grains, of a pleafant acid flavour. This 
fait, on heing calcined, left a refiduum, 
which effervefced and was diffolved in ni- 
tricacid, and, on being evaporated, pro- 
duced eryftals of fulphate of lime and ni- 
trate of potafh. This precipitate obtain- 
ed by means of alcohol, was afcertained to 
bea mixture of fulphate of lime and aci-. 
dulous oxalate of potafh. The mother- 
water, after precipitation with alcohol, 
gave a lecond precipitate with lime-water, 
confifting of oxalate of lime; and after 
this pure malate of lime was obtained. 
Hence thefe chemifts conclude, 1. That 
the mufcles contain potafh, Iime, and ful- 
phuric acid; 2. That a poriion of the 
mufcular fibre, or rather the ce/lular mem- 
brane with which it. is enveloped, was 
converted by the a€tion of the nitric acid 
into oxalic and malic acid. 
The difengagement of azotic gas, the 
formation of carbonic acid, of fat, of ox- 
alic acid, and of a bitter fubftance, con- 
ftitute the whole that was known refpeét- 
ing the treatment of animal fubfances 
by nitric acid: to this is now added the 
difcovery, 1. Of a ye!low infipid matter, 
of little folubility, though acid, and 
which immediately fucceeds the flefhy 
fibre ; 2. Of another yellow matter, bit- 
ter, more foluble, and equally acid, which 
remains diffolved in the nitrie liquor ; 
3- Of an inflammable detonating fub- 
fiance, which is alfo retained in folution ; 
4. OF the formation of malic acid. 
The yellow and nearly infoluble matter 
is the firft degree of change produced up- 
on the mufcular fibre: it then paffes to 
the fecond degree of alteration and of aci- 
dity, whofe produ& is the more feluble 
yellow matter: this, by a third degree of 
alteration, is fucceeded by the inflammable 
detonating fubfiance, being the laft term 
of the decompofing ation of nitric acid. 
The fucceflive formation of thefe three 
compounds is attributed to the fubtragtion 
Proceedings of Learned Societvese 25g 
of part of the azote, and of a more confide. 
rable portion of the hydrogen. By thefe 
means the proportion cf their elements are 
changed, and there remains an excefs of 
carbon and of oxygen, which produces the 
ftate of fat and acidity. 
In the application of the foregoing fa&ts 
to the fcience of medicine, it has been in- 
ferred that the jaundice is occaficned by a 
fuperabundance of this matter introduced. 
to the cutaneous abforbent fyfems ; that 
this is what gives a yellow colour to bile 
and bilious calculi, which on analyfis dif 
play the fame properties ; and that the 
yellow acid is difperfed throughout the 
animal economy either by the oxygenation 
of the mufcular fibre, or of the fanguine- 
ous fibrine from which it is formed. 
LITERARY. AND PHILOSOPHI- 
CAL SOCIETY ‘OF MANCHES.- 
TER. 
Ty R. ALEXANDER has given to this 
i J Society a Phyticlogical and Experi- 
mental Effay on the Efe&s of Opinm on 
the Living Syftem. 
The objects of this elaborate eflay were 
to afcertain, 1. Whether the effeMs ex- 
erted upon the living fyfiem by the opera- 
tion of opium can be accounted for with- 
out the agency of the nervous fyftem; 
2. To inquire into the nature of the epes 
ration, whether it be fedative or ftimu. 
Jant. 
The learned author firft brings toge- 
ther the faéts related by Fontana on the 
fame fubje&, and the conclufions he drew 
from them. He then gives a detailed ac- 
count of many experiments made by him- 
felf, and from thele he infers, in oppoftion 
to Fontana, 1. That opium applied to the 
mufcular fibre (the heart,) exhaufts or 
confumes the irritability of that organ ; 
2. That the effect of opium is tranf{init- 
ted to diftant parts of the anima! body 
when the agency of the circulation is both 
withheld and deftroyed, and in as rapid a 
manner as when the circulation of the 
blood is entire and vigorous; 3. That 
opium either does not exert any immediate 
action upon the blood, or that this fluid 
Is an infuficient medium to convey it to 
diftant parts of the fyftem 5; 4. That the 
effect of opiumis direfily exected upon the 
nervous fyfem, and that in preportion to 
the unity and integrity of this {}fem, the 
effects of opium are extended to diffant 
parts. 
Tn anfwer to the inquiry conceinine the 
nature of the opesation of cpium, the 
Dogtor recited nearly threefcore experi- 
ments, frem which he concludes that the 
irs capacity 
