ALCOHOL  IN  THE  ANIMAL  ORGANISM. 
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question  have  been  deposited,  contains  another  chloride,  which 
cannot  be  crystallized,  but  which  gives  also  a  double  salt  with 
chloride  of  platinum. 
The  first  platinum  salt  contains  the  elements  of  1  atom  of 
ammonia  and  3  atoms  of  oxide  of  ethylen ;  the  second  platinum 
salt  contains  the  elements  of  1  atom  of  ammonia  and  2  atoms  of 
oxide  of  ethylen. 
We  have  therefore  two  new  oxygenated  bases : 
1st.  2tf2H40+NH8=a4H11N02 
Oxide  of  ethylen. 
2nd.  3(72H40+NH3=(76HigN03 
which  in  the  state  of  chlorides  combine  with  chloride  of  platinum, 
as  chloride  of  ammonium,  of  potassium,  &c.  do.  There  seems  to 
be  no  reason  why  compound  ammonias  should  not  react  in  the 
same  manner ;  and  the  above  furnishes  us,  doubtless,  with 
reactions  which  will  become  a  fertile  source  of  artificial  oxygen- 
ated alkaloids  ;  moreover,  they  seem  to  confirm  an  idea  conceived 
by  Berzelius,  that  alkaloids  contain  ammonia  already  formed. — 
Ohem.  News,  Dec.  31,  1859  from  Gomp.  Mend.,  Dec.  5,1859. 
ALCOHOL  IN  THE  ANIMAL  ORGANISM. 
It  is  usually  supposed  that  the  alcohol  which  enters  into  the  cir- 
culation, through  the  digestive  organs,  is  rapidly  destroyed  under 
the  influence  of  the  oxygen  by  the  respiratory  process.  This 
oxidation  may  indirectly  produce  in  the  blood,  carbonic  acid  and 
water,  or  according  to  the  general  view,  it  suffers  a  series  of 
changes  into  compounds  more  oxygenated  than  before  ;  aldehyde, 
acetic  acid,  oxalic  acid,  carbonic  acid.  The  amylaceous,  and 
saccharine  and  fatty  bodies  suffer  a  similar  decomposition  ;  and 
brandy,  beer,  cider  and  the  spirituous  liquors  in  general,  would 
therefore  be  related  to  the  supporters  of  respiration. 
This  theory,  founded  upon  experiments  which  appear  to 
be  incontrovertible,  explains  in  a  satisfactory  manner,  why  no 
alcohol,  or  only  traces  are  discovered  in  the  blood  and  urine. 
The  results  of  experiments  which  have  lately  been  reported  to 
the  Paris  Academy,  by  M.  Duroy,  Lallemand  and  Perrin,  are 
in  most  cases  at  variance  with  this  theory ;  they  prove,  on  the 
