A System of human anatomy, general and special / by Erasmus Wilson.

  • William James Erasmus Wilson
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A System of human anatomy, general and special / by Erasmus Wilson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library at Emory University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Woodruff Health Sciences Center Library, Emory University.

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    Oxide of iron, in blood, black pigment, lens, and hair. Oxide of titanium, in the capsular renales. Ammonia and cyanogen only exist in excreted liquids, and conse- quently do not appear fit to form any part of an organism, one consisting of NH and the other of CH ; their elements may only have united for the purpose of finding a ready exit from the body through the emunc- tories. Chemistry and physiology have both failed to detect the mode in which the elements of an animal body form themselves into the ternary and quaternary compounds which are found or supposed to exist in them, and much confusion and uncertainty still prevail in regard to their compo- sition and the part they play in the animal organization. Almost all of these compounds contain nitrogen, in addition to the carbon, oxygen and hydrogen found in them; and some of them are exactly alike in their ele- mentary chemical constitution, although differing in a remarkable manner in their sensible characteristics. Those ternary or quaternary compounds which contain nitrogen are prone to rapid putrescence, and have received the generic name of nitrosenized substances. I. Nitrogenized substances. — Perhaps the best mode of explain- ing these compounds is to admit the existence of protein, which is described by Mulder, and is so called because, itself a primary sub- stance, it originates so many dissimilar substances. It consists of C40 H3] N5 012. By imagining it to unite with small proportions of either sulphur or phosphorus, or both, it may be said to form a number of ni- trogenized bodies. When in the moist state, protein is said to be gelatin- ous, and when dried, brittle, and of a brownish colour. It is inodorous and tasteless, insoluble in water, alcohol, or ether, but easily dissolved by all the acids in a dilute state. The substances formed by it are— 1st. Albumen (Pr10 + PS2). This substance is exceedingly common in the animal economy, and a good example of it is presented in the white of an egg, which is nearly pure albumen. It forms an admirable matrix or blastema for the generation of cells, and the consequent forma- tion of tissues. When dry, albumen is solid, brittle, and of an amber yellow colour. It is soluble in water, coagulable by heat, alcohol and acids, and forms insoluble compounds with tannin, sugar of lead, and corrosive sublimate. Very nearly resembling albumen in many of its properties is— 2d. Fibiin (Pr]0 -f PS). This, however, possesses the power of coagu- lating, when removed from the body of a living animal, in from three to seven minutes, into a delicate rete or net-work. It is most readily ob- tained from blood, where it exists in solution, by whisking it with a bundle of twigs, which hastens its coagulation, and causes it to adhere to the twigs. When well washed with running water it presents a semi-solid condition, a dull yellowish colour, and scarcely an appreciable odour. Fibrin, in a coagulated state, forms almost the whole bulk of the muscles. 3d. Casein (Pr10 -f- S). This substance is abundantly found in milk, and constitutes, when dried, cheese. It is soluble in water, and coagu- lated by alcohol, acids, and the stomach of any of the mammalia. Be-