ON GASTRIC JUICE. 
285 
4th. White and diaphonous gelatine was dissolved, no 
longer recovering its gelatinous form upon cooling. 
The same substance in equal volumes, placed in water, 
acidulated with hydrochloric acid in a manner to present 
evidently the same acidity, did not experience, after eight 
hours of contact at a temperature of 36° to 39°, the least 
appreciable change; the muscular tissues had preserved their 
form and a great resistance, and the gelatine took upon 
cooling the form of a firm and transparent jelly. 
To these corroboratory experiments I was happy to 
observe, in addition, the direct action of the juice of the 
stomach upon a portion of compact bone. Two cylinders 
were prepared of equal dimensions (diameter, 7 millimetres, 
height, 32 mm. 1.) One of these two wrapped up in a 
gauze, stitched and retained by a thread, was introduced 
into the stomach of the dog, which remained in my labora- 
tory for 50 hours: at the end of this time the plug was with- 
drawn, and the thread attached to it brought out with it, the 
cylinder still enveloped but so lessened in all its dimensions 
that its least diameter was then only 4 mm. 6, and its height 
28 millimetres; the total weight had been reduced from 2 
gr. 780 to 1 gr. 005. It will be easy to judge of these 
effects by comparing the intact cylinder with the cylinder 
in part digested, which I have presented to the Academy. 
This latter, it should be remarked, had preserved its first 
solidity: the angles of the base were rounded off, the super- 
fice was striated with slightly projecting lines correspond- 
ing, doubtlessly, to the osseous parts where the texture is 
closer: hence it is evident that the action of the gastric 
juice disaggregates, by peripheric layers, the whole of the 
osseous substance, whilst, as every one knows, bones dipped 
in weak hydrocloric acid allow their calcareous salts to be 
dissolved, and exhibit, after the reaction, their organic tissue 
hydrated, rendered flexible and supple. 
This last and curious verification of the results announced 
