256  ON  CHEMISTRY  APPLIED  TO  THE  ARTS. 
Composition  of  Bones. 
Name  of  Bone. 
Mineral 
rbospnate 
rnospnate 
Uarbonate 
Matter. 
of  Lime. 
of  Magnesia. 
of  Lime. 
Femer — Foetus     6  months 
63-0 
58-9 
5-8 
"        Boy       18  " 
61-6 
58-0 
0-5 
2-5 
"        Woman  22  years 
60-1 
59-4 
1-3 
7-7 
"        Man       30  " 
63-2 
57-7 
1  2 
9  3 
ic           a         40  ^ 
64.2 
56'3 
1-3 
10-2 
"        Woman  80  " 
64*6 
57-1 
1-2 
7-5 
60"8 
51*9 
1*3 
9*3 
64-7 
60-0 
1-5 
6-3 
"  Sheep  
70-0 
62-9 
15 
7-7 
'  62-9 
51-9 
0-5 
10>6 
70-0 
64-3 
58-0 
1-2 
Codfish  
61-3 
61-9 
581 
tracea 
3-8 
8H 
60-7 
1-2 
2-9 
"       "  Enamel  
96-9 
90-5 
traces 
2-2 
74-8 
70-3 
1-3 
2-2 
34-2 
33-7 
traces 
M 
The  first  conclusion  drawn  by  M.  Fremy  from  these  re- 
searches is,  that  he  found  a  higher  proportion  of  mineral  matter 
than  is  generally  admitted  by  chemists.  Secondly,  that  there  is 
no  material  difference  in  the  composition  of  various  bones  taken 
from  different  parts  of  man,  or  of  any  one  animal,  but  that  age 
had  a  very  marked  influence  on  composition.  Thus,  in  the  bones 
of  infants  there  is  more  animal  and  less  mineral  matter  than  in 
the  adult,  whilst  in  old  age  there  is  more  mineral  and  less  animal 
than  in  the  middle-aged  man.  The  mineral  substance  which 
chiefly  increases  in  old  age  is  carbonate  of  lime.  Lastly,  he  could 
find  no  marked  difference  between  the  bones  of  man,  the  ox,  calf, 
elephant,  and  whale  ;  whilst  in  the  bones  of  carnivorous  animals 
and  those  of  birds  there  is  a  slight  increase  in  the  amount  of  min- 
eral matter.  Allow  me  now  to  call  your  attention  to  a  most  in- 
teresting query.  I  hold  in  one  hand  the  mineral  matter  only  of 
a  bone,  which  you  can  see  retains  perfectly  its  original  form, 
and  in  the  other  hand  I  have  the  animal  matter  only  of  a  similar 
bone,  which  also  retains  the  form  in  which  it  previously  existed, 
but  is  flexible  instead  of  rigid.  The  question,  therefore,  arises, 
whether  the  strength  and  hardness  of  bones  proceed  from  these 
two  kinds  of  matter  being  combined  together,  or  are  their  re- 
spective molecules  merely  juxtaposed  ?    The  answer  is,  the  lat- 
