348     ON  THE  COMPOSITION  OF  THE  MUSCLES  OP  ANIMALS. 
Salmonic  Acid. — It  is  obtained  from  the  expressed  oil  of  the 
muscles  of  the  salmon,  by  shaking  it  with  alcohol  containing  a 
little  ammonia.  This  fluid  readily  takes  up  the  coloring  matter, 
the  ammonia  is  then  neutralized  by  an  acid,  the  ammoniacal  salt 
is  allowed  to  separate,  and  the  coloring  matter  is  obtained  in  the 
form  of  a  sticky  red  acid,  which  possesses  all  the  properties  of  a 
fatty  acid.  The  salmon-trout  furnishes  the  same  acid  as  the 
salmon. 
It  occurs  in  considerable  quantity,  mixed  with  oleophosphoric 
acid,  in  the  spawn  of  the  salmon,  which  accounts  to  a  certain 
extent  for  the  loss  of  flavor  in  the  flesh  of  the  salmon  during  the 
spawning  season.  Different  species  contain  different  quantities 
of  salmonic  acid  ;  thus  the  Salmo  hamatus,  Yal.,  contains  less 
than  the  Salmo  Salmo. 
The  muscles  of  the  Crustacea  appear  to  be  more  simple  in 
their  composition  than  those  of  the  Mammalia  ( Vertebrata  ?)  the 
phosphate  of  potash  is  generally  deficient,  but  on  the  other  hand, 
the  oleophosphoric  acid  is  present  in  as  great  proportion  as  in 
the  muscles  of  fishes.  Creatine  and  creatinine  were  also  ob- 
tained from  several  species. 
Muscles  of  the  Mollusca. — With  these  also  the  authors  took 
great  care  to  obtain  them  free  from  all  other  tissues  and  products 
of  secretion.  They  examined  the  fibres  of  Cephalopoda  {Sepias) 
and  Acephala. 
The  composition  of  these  fibres  is  much  less  complex  than  in 
the  Vertebrata.  They  contain  only  inconsiderable  quantities  of 
acid  phosphate  of  potash,  oleophosphoric  acid,  creatine  and 
creatinine.  Instead  of  the  latter,  it  is  remarkable  that  they  found 
taurine.  They  detected  this  body,  not  only  by  its  properties, 
but  also  by  its  elementary  analysis.  Senarmont  determined  the 
crystalline  form  of  this  taurine,  and  found  it  to  be  identical  with 
that  of  taurine  from  the  bile.  The  authors  obtained  taurine  both 
from  the  muscles  of  Sepice  and  of  the  oyster.  This  occurrence 
of  taurine  is  very  remarkable,  and  certainly  proves  that  it  is  not 
a  product  peculiar  to  the  bile. — London  Chem.  Qazn  from  Journ. 
de  Pharm.  et  de  Ohim. 
