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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c6919dd --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #69141 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/69141) diff --git a/old/69141-0.txt b/old/69141-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index a5245fe..0000000 --- a/old/69141-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,1677 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg eBook of On Adipocire, and its formation, by -Charles M. Wetherill - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you -will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before -using this eBook. - -Title: On Adipocire, and its formation - -Author: Charles M. Wetherill - -Release Date: October 12, 2022 [eBook #69141] - -Language: English - -Produced by: deaurider, Les Gallowaay and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS -FORMATION *** - - - - Transcriber’s Notes - -Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations -in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other -spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. - -Temperatures ranges, variously expressed as 54°-55°, 54°, 55° and 54° -55°, have been standardised as 54°-55°. Fractional temperatures have -been standardised as XX.X° - -Italics are represented thus _italic_, superscripts thus y^n, subscripts -as y_{n}. - - - - - ON - - ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS FORMATION. - - BY CHARLES M. WETHERILL, PH.D. M.D. - - [From the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society.] - - -The formation of fat is interesting, both from a chemical and a -physiological point of view. The relation of lignine starch and sugar -to alcohol, afforded reasons for Liebig’s theory of the formation of -fat in the body. Recent experiments by Liebig, Bopp, Guckelberger, -Keller and others, on the formation of the lower terms of the series -of fatty acids by the oxidation and putrefaction of the blood-forming -substances, rendered possible the formation of the higher members, -from albumen, fibrin and caseine, by similar means,[1] for example, by -a less intense degree of oxidation. It was thought that the study of -adipocire, with a view to this question, would perhaps throw some light -upon it; and upon reading all the articles within my reach, upon this -body, from the time of its discovery by Fourcroy, I find a considerable -difference of opinion with regard to it. - -In 1785, Fourcroy examined a portion of a liver which had hung for -ten years in the air in the laboratory of de la Salle; it was fatty, -smooth, and unctuous to the touch. Potash lye dissolved a portion -of the liver completely, forming a soap. Subsequently, when he had -examined the fat of grave yards, and spermaceti, he proposed to -name these three fats, viz.: of biliary calculi, spermaceti, and -from grave yards, adipocire, considering them to be identical, and -possessing an intermediate nature between fat and wax. Chevreul, in his -fifth Memoire, corrects this error, and calls the fat of gall stones -cholesterine, and that of spermaceti cetine. - -In 1786-7, Fourcroy had an opportunity of studying the fat of grave -yards, in the removal of the bodies from the Cemetière des Innocens, -a work which lasted for two years, and which was supervised by Dr. -Thouret, who was placed there to care for the health of the workmen. -The substance was abundantly found, and especially in the “fouilles,” -or ditches, where the slightly made coffins of the poorer classes had -been piled one upon another; the trench being open for some time until -it was filled with bodies, when it was covered with a slight quantity -of earth; on opening the trenches after some fifteen years, the bodies -were converted into adipocire; they were flattened by mutual pressure, -and had impressions on their surface of the grave clothes. Fourcroy’s -analysis proved it to be a soap of ammonia, with phosphate of lime, and -the fat, melted at 52.5° C.[2] He supposed adipocire to arise from the -putrefaction of all animal matter, except hair, nails, and bones, for -he states that in the carcasses of all animals exposed upon the borders -of pieces of water, a fatty, white, fusible substance resembling -spermaceti is found. - -Perhaps the earliest record on this change from flesh to fat, is to be -found in Lord Bacon’s Sylva Sylvarum, where he says, (article Fat,) -“Nearly all flesh may be turned into a fatty substance, by cutting it -into pieces and putting it into a glass covered with parchment, then -letting the glass stand six or seven hours in boiling water.” This may -be a profitable experiment for making fat or grease; but then it must -be practised upon such flesh as is not edible, viz.: that of horses, -dogs, bears, foxes, badgers, &c. - -George Smith Gibbes, 1794, observed that in Oxford, in the pits where -were thrown the remains of dissections, and at the bottom of which -flowed a gentle current of water, large quantities of adipocire were -formed. He placed a piece of beef in the river in a box pierced with -holes, and also a piece in which putrefaction in the air had commenced, -and adipocire resulted in both cases. He proposes to make use of this -property to utilize the dead bodies of animals, and states that nitric -acid will effect the same change in three or four days. - -John Bostock (Nicholson’s Journal, March, 1803,) digested muscular -fibre with dilute nitric acid, and washed with water: the result was -a clear, yellow fat, of the consistence of tallow, melting at 33° C. -Is less soluble in alcohol than Fourcroy’s substance: the greater part -deposits nearly white on cooling, and the residue can be precipitated -from the alcohol by water. Hot ether dissolves it and abandons it on -cooling; caustic alkali forms a soap; ammonia dissolves but little of -the fat. - -Chevreul, on repeating this experiment with pure fibrine, could obtain -no fat. Hartkol, (Ure’s Dict. art. Adipocire,) experimented for -twenty-five years on adipocire, and concluded that it is not formed in -dry grounds, that in moist earth the fat does not increase, but changes -to a fetid mass, incapable of being made into candles. Animals in -running water leave a fat after three years, which is more abundant in -the intestines than in the muscles, and more fat is formed in stagnant, -than in running water. - -Chevreul, 1812, found the fat of church yards to contain margaric and -oleic acids, combined with yellow colouring and odorous matters, also -lime, potash, oxide of iron, lactic acid salts and azotized matter. He -supposes the fatty acids are liberated from their glycerine by ammonia, -which subsequently itself escapes, and that adipocire is thus formed -from the original fat of the body. - -Gay Lussac, (An. de Ch. et de Ph. iv. 71,) adopts the same views. He -subjected finely chopped muscular fibre deprived of its fat by ether, -to the action of water, and did not succeed in forming adipocire. - -Von Bibra, (Annalen der Chem. und Ph. 56, p. 106,) in an examination of -the flesh of the leg of a Peruvian mummy, a child, obtained 19.7 per -cent, of fat, which he supposes to have been formed from the muscles. -In comparison, dry human muscle from several analyses by himself, gives -nine per cent. of fat. The muscular fibre of the mummy, after treatment -with ether, presented the same appearance under the microscope, as -fresh muscle placed in the same circumstances. Bibra states in the same -article, that he is fully convinced of the change of muscle to fat, -having obtained a human corpse in which all the parts of flesh were -nearly wholly converted into fat. - -Blondeau, (Comptes Rendus, Sep. 6th, 1847, and Ch. Gazette, same year, -p. 422,) arrived at the same conclusion from an examination of the -Roquefort cheese manufacture. This cheese is placed in dark, damp, cool -cellars to ripen. Before this treatment, the cheese contained 1∕200 of -its weight of fat, and after two months in the cellars the caseine was -almost wholly converted into a fat, which melts at 40°, boils at 80°, -and decomposes at 150°C. The unaltered caseine could be removed from -it, by mere melting with boiling water. In an additional experiment, a -pound of beef free from fat was slightly salted, surrounded with paste, -and placed in a cellar; after two months, it had undergone no putrid -decomposition, and was converted, for the greater part, into a fatty -body, presenting the greatest analogy to hog’s lard. In these instances -a number of parasite plants are observed on the material, and it is -necessary to scrape the cheese from time to time, to free it from these -mycodermic plants, which are reproduced with fresh energy. As these -plants require ammonia for their development, Blondeau supposes it can -only come from the nitrogen of its caseine, and that fat is one of the -results of the caseine decomposition. - -Gregory, (Annalen der Chem. und. Ph. 61, p. 362,) examined the -adipocire of a fat hog which had died of sickness, and had been buried -for fifteen years in moist ground; at the bottom of the grave was the -adipocire in a layer hardly an inch in thickness; it contained ¼ -stearic and ¼ margaric and oleic acids, together with from 1.5 to 3.5 -per cent. lime. The glycerine was all gone, and so was the bone earth, -which together with the flesh were removed, as Gregory supposes, by the -carbonic acid of the rain water, leaving the original fatty acids of -the body. - -Prof. Hünefeld, (Jour. für Pr. ch. 7, p. 49,) examined a loaf of rye -bread, which had been buried for at least eighty years in a turf-moor, -and found 2.2 per cent. of a waxy or fatty substance, and he refers to -an examination by Bracconot, of a mouldered wheat bread containing, -among other substances, a fatty body. Hünefeld supposes that the -substance of the bread was displaced by the turf material, the form -of the loaf being retained; and admits the possibility of the bread -substance partaking in part a change into resin and waxy humus. - -R. Wagner, (Ch. Gazette, vol. 9, p. 306,) transplanted the recently -removed testicles of rabbits and frogs into the abdominal cavity of -fowls; the testicles of fowls into other fowls and pigeons, those of -pigeons into fowls, and fresh crystalline lens into fowls and pigeons -which were killed after ten or fifteen days. The testicles of frogs -contained three per cent. of fat, which was augmented to 5.15 per cent. -In one case the crystalline lens, after the experiment, contained 47.86 -per cent. of fat; in a number of other experiments on lenses, the -result was of from 7 to 15 per cent. of fat, calculated for the dry -substance of the lens; carefully cleaned portions of frog intestines -filled with coagulated blood of pigeons and calves, fat free muscle -from the thigh of a frog, and boiled white of hen’s egg, in similar -conditions, all gave fat. - -These experiments were repeated by Husson and Burdach,[3] enveloping -the nitrogenized substances in bags or coatings of gutta percha, -caoutchouc and collodion. They found the substance well preserved, but -no change into fat; so that admission of the animal juices must conduce -to it, if the change be possible. Burdach placed porous vegetable -substances, as wood and tinder, in the abdominal cavity, and found -a deposit of fat on them, and which was imbibed in the pores, which -speaks against the change in question. Finally, Burdach determined the -fat of the egg of _Linnæus stagnalis_, and detected a considerable -increase of it during the development of the embryo; but, on the other -hand, the egg contains sugar from which the fat could have been formed; -and in opposition to this the quantity of sugar in hens’ eggs has been -noticed rather to increase than diminish during incubation. - -Quain & Virchow quoted by Lehmann,[4] examined muscle changed in -macerating troughs to adipocire, and are of opinion that the fibrine is -here changed to fat. I have questioned my medical friends, who have -had experience in this matter, and find them to hold the same opinions. -Prof. Leidy, who macerated with water the bodies of small animals, in -stoppered bottles, to obtain their skeletons, found that the deposition -of adipocire upon the bones was quite abundant. - -The physiological question of the formation of fat, has been fully -discussed within the past ten years, and it has been proven by diet and -analysis, that herbivorous animals possess more fat than is taken in -their food; but whether the fat be formed wholly from non-nitrogenized -or from nitrogenized bodies, or partially from both, is yet undecided. -Pathological considerations from the fatty degeneration of several of -the organs, where the fat is found both within and without the cell,[5] -appear likewise to have divided scientific men as to its origin, -whether from a change of the proteine compounds of the organs, or from -an abnormal plastic activity. The connexion of the organs of generation -with the deposit of fat, and the increase of the latter after -castration, is worthy of consideration; for the cutting off the supply -of the highly albuminous semen, gives an impulse to the fat formation. -The flesh and the fat of the body stand in an intimate relation to -each other, and neither the non-nitrogenized nor the nitrogenized -diet exclusively is conducive to health. _Repose_ is necessary, (with -a proper diet,) to the formation of fat, and as the activity of the -muscles requires their reparation from the food, perhaps it is as much -this wearing away by activity, that hinders the formation of fat, as -the increased combustion by the quickened respiration. It therefore -appears to me probable that both classes of food conduce to the fat -formation. - -It was thought that the study of adipocire would throw some light upon -the question, whether fat be formed from proteine compounds, and I was -surprised to find the great difference of opinion as to the formation -and nature of this body, and in general, as to the changes that -bodies undergo in grave yards. These various changes are ascribed by -undertakers to the nature of the soil, to its dryness or moisture; but -in a late removal of a grave yard in this city, some bodies were found -converted into adipocire, the graves of which were contiguous to those -in which decomposition had advanced to its full extent, leaving nothing -but the skeleton. The preservation of some bodies seems inexplicable, -according to our present knowledge, of which I may cite the well known -case of General Washington, (who was not embalmed,) who having reposed -in his tomb for more than forty years, was so perfectly preserved, as -to have been recognised from the resemblance of his portraits. The -problems proposed for this research were:— - -1st. The chemical examination of different kinds of adipocire. - -2d. To watch the decomposition of flesh with water, and imitating the -condition of a body in moist ground. - -With regard to the first of these, I possessed the following specimens -of adipocire: - -(_a_) Two from sheep buried at the country seat of the late J. P. -Wetherill. - -(_b_) Two from human subjects, which I obtained myself from a grave -yard. - -(_c_) From a fossil ox, presented by Prof. Leidy. - - - (_a_) SHEEP ADIPOCIRE. - -Specimens of this adipocire were presented to the Academy of Natural -Sciences, by my uncle, who found them at his country seat, opposite -Valley Forge, buried in moist ground, near a drain which led water from -a spring-house. About ten years previously, the shepherd in charge of a -flock of sheep indulged in a drunken spree, and in the meanwhile some -fifteen of the sheep in his care died from neglect, and were buried in -the above mentioned spot. My uncle, who was present at the exhumation -of the sheep, stated that in some of the remains, the exterior forms -of the muscles were very distinct. The two specimens I obtained were -in lumps, amorphous under the microscope, floating on water; of greasy -feel, and rank mutton smell, mingled with a peculiar disagreeable -fundamental smell, that I have observed in all my specimens of -adipocire, including the fossil one. Heated in a capsule with water, -a transparent fat floats melted on the surface; heated alone in a -platinum crucible, it melts and burns with a smoky flame, leaving a -slight residue, which effervesces with hydrochloric acid, and contains -beside sand and a little iron, principally lime. Under the microscope -with moderate powers, it is white, fatty, and granular, disappearing -with Canada balsam; with higher powers it is amorphous: melted on the -glass slide covered with thin glass, is crystalline on cooling, in -groups of plumose crystals, which give a beautiful play of colours -with polarized light; a drop of its weak alcoholic solution evaporated -spontaneously on glass gave the same appearance of crystallization. -Water added to this solution precipitated it in the form of a pure -white amorphous powder: distilled per se, leaves a slight carbonaceous -residue, and gives a volatile fat, yellowish, and cryst, on cooling. -This volatile fat is soluble in hot alcohol, and precipitates partly -on cooling. The weight of material was seventy grammes; it was melted -in the water bath, and filtered through paper in a hot funnel; the -filtered solidified fat was of a light coffee colour, and weighed -fifty-four grammes; in a capillary tube, is soft at 54°, fluid at 62°; -on cooling becomes opaque at 50°. When pressed in paper, the latter is -greased by oleic acid; it contains no ammonia, nor any nitrogen by the -potassium test; the residue on the filter (together with the filter) -was boiled with alcohol, filtered hot on a weighed filter, and washed -with alcohol. This alcoholic solution deposited twelve grammes of fatty -acid, by spontaneous evaporation, during the summer. The crystals -at first deposited were white and warty; a portion of the alcoholic -solution on a glass slide, exhibited with the microscope, white, curved -dendritic forms, arranged stellate; in the capillary tube, they begin -to melt at 53°, are fluid at 62°, and on cooling begin to cloud at -58°, and are opaque at 50°. The residue on the filter weighed about -four grammes, and viewed under the microscope, consisted of membranous -matter, wool, dirt, and the white element of cellular tissue; it -gave ammonia with potassa solution, and nitrogen by Laissaigne’s -test, together with a strong smell of phosphuretted hydrogen when the -water was added in the latter test. This residue burned, gave thirty -per cent. of ash. The following is the per centage result for the -adipocire:— - - Solid fatty acids, a little oleic acid, and coally matter, 94.2 - Membranous matter and cellular tissue, 2.3 - Ash and dirt, 3.5 - ————— - 100.0 - -The portion of fatty acid which passed through the filter by melting, -contained 0.73 per cent. of a dark-coloured ash, principally lime, with -iron, and traces of phosphoric and sulphuric acids, potash and soda. -The potash and soda were detected by Dr. Lawrence Smith’s beautiful -method by polarized light, which I have frequently used with success. -In this instance, the quantity of material was so small, that neither -the potash nor soda could be detected by the usual method. - -[An experiment was tried to ascertain whether the fatty acids would -dissolve phosphate of lime. About six or eight grammes of fatty acid, -(the residue from the hot press of the candle factories, crystallized -from much alcohol, and of which one gramme left no appreciable ash -by experiment) were kept for half an hour melted with pulverized -bone ashes. One gramme of this gave an ash of only a quarter of -a milligramme; when this was dissolved in hydrochloric acid and -neutralized by ammonia, it was impossible to conclude whether there was -a precipitate or not.] - -Sixty grammes of the fatty acids were then saponified with potash lye, -according to Chevreul’s proportions, during which operation neither -ammonia nor cholesterine could be detected. The soap was decomposed -by tartaric acid, and washed several times by melting with water; -it dissolved thus in alcohol with reddish brown colour, and after -filtering hot, was suffered to deposit the greater part of its fat -on cooling. The crystals thus deposited were nacreous scales, and of -lustre like the feathers of moth wings; when melted, they weighed 26 -grammes, and had a goat-like smell; by further standing, the alcohol -deposited four grammes of very translucent crystals, with traces of -stellar groupings. A third crop of crystals by spontaneous evaporation -was obtained, which was small in quantity, weighing 0.6 grammes, and, -when melted, cooled with a flat, waxy, surface, with traces of stellar -aggregations. The mother alcohol of this last crystallization, was -treated with an alcoholic solution of acetate of lead. The lead salts, -treated in the usual manner by ether, yielded a few drops of very -highly coloured oleic acid. From the insoluble lead salts, the fat was -separated. - -The alcoholic solution from which the oleate and other lead salts -were precipitated by acetate of lead, was evaporated to dryness, and -treated by ether, when another portion of oleic acid was obtained. It -results from this that the quantity of oleic acid in the adipocire is -small. The greater portion of the lead salt was insoluble in ether and -alcohol, its fat was separated and added to the first crop of crystals -which fell from the alcoholic solution of the fat from saponification. -To ascertain whether any glycerine was in combination with the fatty -acids in the adipocire, the aqueous solution from which the crop was -precipitated by tartaric acid during the purification of the fat, was -heated, filtered from small fat globules, and after removing the tartar -deposit, subjected to distillation. The acid residue of the retort -was neutralized by carb. potash, and after evaporating on the water -bath was exhausted with absolute alcohol, which proved the absence of -glycerine, as it gave on evaporating nothing but a small residue of -colouring matter, which was yellow, and of a bitter taste. - -The distillate in this experiment had a goat-like smell, and it was -doubtful whether it reacted acid to litmus paper. Baryta water was -added to alkaline reaction, for which but a small quantity was needed, -and the solution evaporated. There was but little residue, which, on -the addition of a drop of hydrochloric acid and water, emitted a rancid -smell, but no oil globule appeared; the volatile fatty acids may, -therefore, be considered to be present in the adipocire only in faint -traces. - -The following melting points were obtained:--The first crop of crystals -from the alcoholic solution of the fat after saponification, which, -when melted, cooled with a stellated surface, tried three times by -dipping the thermometer bulb in the melted solution, and noting the -temperature when it became opaque, gave 55° for the solidifying point. -In a capillary tube, begins to melt at 57°, fluid at 59°, on cooling, -opaque at 55°; this portion was taken from the capsule on melting the -fat, before the whole mass was melted: another portion taken when all -was fluid, and after stirring, gave the same results. - -The crystalline appearance of the second crop of crystals from the -alcoholic solution after saponification, when melted and suffered -to cool in a capsule, is similar to that of the first crop; in the -capillary tube, begins to melt at 53°, fluid at 54°-55°, on cooling, -crystals form in the tube at 51°, and is opaque at 50°. The melting -point of the third crop of crystals was 50.5°. In ascertaining the -melting points of the different fats described in this paper, I tried -the various modes in use, and settled at first upon the following:--A -beaker of distilled water (which must be boiled just before using, to -prevent air globules settling upon the capillary tubes, which would -falsify the result) is placed upon wire gauze upon a retort stand in -front of a window, the thermometer hangs, by a string, in this water -from another stand, and the lamp must be moveable from under the beaker -glass. A piece of string is tied so loosely around the top of the -(cylindrical) mercury reservoir of the thermometer, that the different -capillary tubes may be readily slipped in and out on raising the -thermometer from the water; the heat from the lamp must be such that -the temperature of the water rises gradually; the capillary tubes are -so placed that they lie closely to the mercury of the thermometer, and -when the temperature approaches the melting point, the water is stirred -with the thermometer to equalize the heat, the lamp is then removed, -and the point of solidification observed in the usual way. I doubt very -much the use of noting the point of solidification, as it is influenced -so much by extraneous circumstances. The cooling of water and certain -salts below their solidifying points, is well known, and the same must -take place in these instances. Heintz has noticed how the thermometer -rose ten degrees in determining the solidifying point of melted human -fat. In one of my experiments, the fat in the tube was separated by -minute air globules into three or four columns, quite close together; -in observing the fusing point, they all melted at the same instant; -but in solidifying, one would be quite clear while those on either -side had become opaque, no matter how much the tube was stirred or -vibrated by striking the beaker glass. After having observed this in -several instances, I abandoned taking the points of solidification, -and modified the process for the fusing point, by keeping the water as -near that point as possible, and repeatedly lifting the thermometer and -attached capillary tube out of the water for a few seconds, that the -fat might solidify, and noting the fusing point as that at which it -at once becomes liquid; this point is reached twice; first, when the -water is being heated, and secondly, as it is cooling: I have found by -repetition of the same experiment, that the degree thus obtained, is -constant from the first, and I think gives the most accurate results. -The mode of using capillary tubes for the fusing points, is convenient, -as, at the close of the experiment, they can be sealed at the open -end, and placed on a card with descriptions, for future reference. I -weighed the quantity of fat in one instance, and found that half a -milligramme was much more than enough to obtain the melting point with -the capillary tube. - - - (_b_) HUMAN ADIPOCIRE. - -Towards the close of the year 1853, I visited a grave yard in -Philadelphia, the remains of which were being removed, and from which, -through the kindness of the superintendent, I obtained specimens of -adipocire and valuable information. The surface of the burial ground -was depressed about four or six feet below that of the neighbouring -streets, and was of a very moist nature. Many of the bodies were -converted more or less into adipocire, and of these, all had been large -persons. There was none among the remains of children. I obtained -specimens from two persons. - -No. 1, was from a large man, which had been buried from ten to fifteen -years; the ground was very moist, and the coffin rotten; the grave was -seven feet deep. The adipocire was from the middle of the coffin, and -was in irregular lumps. - -No. 2, was from a very large man; buried five or six years; the ground -moist, though not so much so as number one; the grave five feet deep. -The ground around the coffin was of a bloody colour, and all of the -body was decayed, except the lower portion. The shape of the rump -was plain, and the legs separate; the fat was at the bottom of the -coffin, and the bones (femur, tibia) were lying along it. The adipocire -contained an impression of the bone, was spongy and dark-coloured on -the inside; and on the outside it was smooth, white, and presented -impressions of the grave clothes, and here and there appearances as -if of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands, but which lost this -appearance when viewed with the microscope. There was no hair on this -specimen. The pieces of adipocire of this specimen were large, at the -thickest part being about three inches in thickness; they presented the -shape of different parts of the leg, though flattened; tough fibrous -bands, like aponeuroses, were seen in some parts traversing the mass of -fatty matter. - -The appearance of these two specimens with the microscope, was very -similar to each other and to the sheep adipocire. Powder scraped from -them, with a fine needle, gave no appearance of fat globules, but -irregular masses, mingled with membranous matter; a portion sliced off -with a sharp knife, presented by reflected light, brilliant, white, -irregular fatty fragments, but no traces of globules. When alcohol was -added with heat, the fat disappeared, leaving membranous matter, and -fibres not-anastomosing (the white element of cellular tissue.) The -addition of acetic acid causes the fibres to disappear, and without -showing nuclei. - -Portions of number one presented an appearance as if of the hair -follicles, and there were mingled with it cylindrical hairs, of an -inch and a half in length, brownish in colour, and quite fine. From -these hairs, and from its position in the coffin, adipocire number -one probably came from the abdomen. The fat from this portion gave -the same appearance under the microscope, as specimen number two. The -alcoholic solution of the fat evaporated on the microscope slide, gave -the appearance of stellated dendritic crystals, with curved branches, -resembling the so called margaric acid under the same circumstances. - -The whole mass of fat in the two specimens, seems to be entangled in a -web of disintegrated membrane, and fibrous tissue. I have never been -able to detect any traces of muscular fibre under the microscope; -and Dr. Leidy, who was kind enough to examine specimens with the -microscope, communicated to me the same results. The smell of the two -specimens was peculiar; what might be called an adipocire smell; for I -have observed it in all specimens of adipocire that I have examined. -This smell is indescribable, the nearest approach to it being that of -fæces, but it is much more disagreeable. - -The following melting points were observed from the original adipocire, -melted per se in watch glasses, and the fat taken up in capillary -tubes. In these specimens, (_a_) was taken from parts with _little_, -and (_b_) from parts with _much_ cellular tissue: - - { { fuses at 56° - { (_a_) { - { { solidifies 50° - No. 1. { - { { fuses 50° - { (_b_) { - { { solidifies 43°-44° - - { { fuses 55° - { (_a_) { - { { solidifies 50° - No. 2. { - { { fuses 55° - { (_b_) { - { { solidifies 50° - -They commenced to melt a little below and to solidify a little above -these points, which were taken for perfect fluidity or opacity. -Generally in solidifying, the crystallization commenced at one point, -and spread gradually through the capillary tube. - -The density varied with different portions of one and two, from below -0.7487 to 1.0, and was ascertained, by immersing specimens (freed -from external air globules) in ether of the above density, alcohol of -density 0.8365, and distilled water. The ash, no doubt, varied also; -but the following determinations were made with the whitest portions -of one and two: viz.: those of the density of ether. No. 1, contained -0.573 per cent. of ash, (1.135 gave 0.0065) which effervesced with -acid, and contained principally, lime, with traces of chlorine, -sulphuric and phosphoric acid, also iron, potassa soda, and (doubtful) -magnesia. The melting point of this portion was 52°-53°. No. 2, gave -0.18 per cent. of ash, (1.109 gave 0.002) which contained the same -substances as number one. The melting point of this fat was 53°-55°. - -The two specimens of adipocire were melted with about one and a half -times their weight of ordinary alcohol, filtered hot, washed a couple -of times with hot alcohol, and pressed, the residue being weighed. -This gives an approximate per centage of the membranous and fibrous -matter, which is rather too low, owing to a little fat remaining in the -residue and filter. The specimens of adipocire were picked as far as -practicable from dark pieces. - -No. 1, 360 grammes, gave nine of residue, or a per centage of - - Fat colouring matter and water, 97.8 - Organic tissue, 2.2 - ————— - 100.0 - -No. 2, 997 grammes adipocire, gave twenty-seven residue, or per cent. - - Fat colouring matter and water, 97.3 - Organic tissue, 2.7 - ————— - 100.0 - -The fats were then saponified with Potassa; No. 1 by Chevreul’s -process, and No. 2 by Heintz’s process with alcohol. The soaps were -precipitated several times, by solution of common salt; no ammonia nor -cholesterine were detected during the process; a heavy, flocculent -soap fell during the melting, which was examined, and found to be a -soap of alumina, oxide of iron and magnesia; probably from impurities -in the salt. No glycerine was present (by direct experiment) in either -of the specimens. An examination for volatile fatty acids, gave -negative results for number one, and a very slight trace in number two -of volatile fatty acids, acetic and butyric, and one or two minute -floating oil drops, most probably from the alcohol employed. - -The fats thus obtained, were very dark in colour, and when cooled, -after being melted in a capsule on water, solidified with a smooth, -waxy surface, with the fibres of crystallization vertical. At the point -of crystallization, the expansion pushed up, and broke the soft cake of -fat in the centre. No. 1 weighed 237 and No. 2, 644 grammes. - -No. 1, (the melting point of which was 57.5°, the solidifying point -52°) was melted with an equal weight of alcohol, and on cooling, -filtered and pressed; a very dark liquid ran through, a drop of which, -evaporated on a glass slide, gave dendritic, stellate, polarizable -crystals. To the residue weighing 177 grammes, 100 grammes of -alcohol were added, and the fat which separated, together with some -depositing from the last filtrate by standing, were added to the -fat of the previous operation; the fat which separated from this -solution of 177 grammes, melted at 59°-60°, and solidified at 53°-54°. -The dark-coloured alcoholic liquid, filtered from these fats, was -saponified by an alcoholic solution of potassa; the alcohol expelled -by boiling with water, and after transferring to a retort, was boiled -with sulphuric acid. The distilled water, examined for volatile fatty -acids, gave negative results. The fat was very dark in colour, melted -at 55°, and solidified at 50°, though it was difficult to determine -these points exactly, as the change exhibited itself very gradually. A -portion of this fat was converted into a potassa salt, and precipitated -by chloride of barium; the filtrate from which, treated with -hydrochloric acid, gave a small quantity of a yellow fat, not further -examined. - -The baryta salts were treated by ether, and the residue by boiling -alcohol. The ethereal, alcoholic solutions, and the residue, were -severally decomposed by hydrochloric acid. The ethereal solution gave -a small quantity of oleic acid, in very dark drops. The alcoholic -solution fat was also small in quantity, and dark. It fused at 61°-62°, -and solidified, as well as could be judged, at 45°. The residual fat, -which was the largest in quantity, yellow, and of a waxy surface, -melted at 43°-46°, and solidified at 45°-40°. - -The purification of fat No. 2, was now undertaken, and experimented -upon more particularly than No. 1, since this specimen of adipocire -conformed to the shape of part of the human frame. - -1^o. An equal weight of alcohol was added, and the fat, which weighed -644 grammes, was dissolved by heat; on cooling it was pressed, and as -the filtrate deposited more fat on standing, it was pressed again, and -the fat added to the former. The dark-coloured filtrate was bottled, -and the fat melted. It was of smooth and waxy surface, and weighed 511 -grammes. - -2^o. The fat from 1^o was melted with 170 alcohol, and the same -operation performed. Residue weighed 327 grammes. - -3^o. Added 124 alcohol to this fat. In this all the liquor was absorbed -by the pressing cloths; the fat weighed 335 grammes. - -4^o. Added an equal weight of alcohol and melted; pressed after two -days. The liquid by this time, was light yellowish; the fatty crystals -in white flakes or scales; the smaller ones transparent under the -microscope, and polarizable. A portion of the fat was melted, and -observed cooling under the microscope with polarized light; as the -solidification approached, a beautiful play of prismatic colours took -place, and the drop shot into crystal interlaced lamellæ. A drop -melted with alcohol, and let cool, gave the peculiar dendritic curved -appearance of margaric acid. - -5^o. The fat by this time weighed 300 grammes; it was melted with an -equal weight of alcohol, and pressed the following day. Residue, 253 -grammes. - -6^o. This was melted with 250 alcohol; the liquid from the press was -very little less coloured than the last; the residue weighed 227 -grammes, and was brilliant white, with a tinge of yellow; the fracture -showed large crystals, and could not be distinguished from the product -of the stearic candle factories. When melted, it cooled with raised, -uneven surface, and was completely soluble in ether. When the ethereal -solution was suffered to separate spontaneously, the first fat which -made its appearance melted at 60°, solidified at 55°, and the fat -extracted from the rest of the ether gave exactly the same points. - -The following are the melting points yielded by the fatty residues of -the foregoing alcoholic crystallizations: - - Fat melts solidifies - 2^o 58° 53° - 3^o 58° 53° a 52° - 4^o 58° 53° a 52° - 5^o 58° a 58.5° 53° - 6^o 60° 55° a 54° - -The examination of the liquids separated from the above -crystallizations, was now taken up. Their colour was from a very deep -reddish brown (No. 1^o) down to light yellow, and nearly colourless -(No. 6^o.) In 1^o, 2^o, and 5^o, crystals had deposited by standing, -and as 2^o was not corked like the rest, the deposit here was abundant; -it was re-melted with addition of as much alcohol as had evaporated, -and was suffered to stand for several days longer, when a drusy -crystalline deposit made its appearance. The following are the melting -points for these two precipitates: - - Precipitate in 1^o melts 62°-63° solidifies 44°5-40° - Precipitate in 5^o melts 51°-56° solidifies 44°5-43° - -The fat deposited in 2^o melted at 58°, and solidified at 52°, and -the fat separated from the _liquid_ of this bottle, melted at 59°5, -solidified at 53°, but continued translucent down to 33°. After the -above melting points, 1^o and 5^o were observed, the same fat was -raised slowly to the melting points, and then kept for a considerable -time in the thermostat, at 100°, the points were again determined, and -found to be the same. - -The liquids separated from the fats 1^o-6^o, gave the following results: - - The fat from Liquid melts solidifies - 1^o 36°-46° 41°-? - 2^o 39°-41° 37°-35.5° - 4^o[6] 59°-62° 40.5°-35° - 5^o 62°-66° 58°-53° - 6^o 53°-56° 41°-? - -The melting point of liquid 2^o, does not accord with that above -stated, but I note the experiments as they were observed, merely -mentioning that I observed carefully, and am not conscious of having -made an error. The above points seem vague, but it was impossible to -fix a point definitely, as a cloudiness persisted up to the highest -degree stated, so I prefer to give the limits of certainty. In 1^o and -6^o the solidifying points, 41°, were taken when the liquid in the -capillary tubes seemed to become solid, but it remained translucent -for a long time below this point, and 6^o only became opaque (and that -gradually) when suffered to stand in the air. - -We are reminded here of Duffy’s observations upon certain isomeric -transformations of the fats, (Quar. Jour. Ch. Sec. V. 197.) He -noticed that stearine heated 1° above its point of solidification, -became transparent, but soon after resumed its opacity; and Heintz -made a similar observation. Duffy attributes this to an isomeric -transformation of the fat by the heat; but it seems to me simpler until -an isomerism be more distinctly proven, to assume a mixture of fats, -which unite to form a definite compound under the circumstances, and -which has the above mentioned property.[7] Heintz’s researches on the -fats should make us look with suspicion upon fats as pure, that are -only purified by crystallization. - -Duffy’s remarks were made upon the glycerine compounds of the -fatty acids; it appears from the above examination of the liquids -1^o and 6^o, as if something similar took place with the fatty -acids themselves, although, with one or two exceptions, in other -determinations of melting points noted in this article, I have not -observed the same phenomenon of transparency. - -A few experiments were now made with the alcoholic liquid 6^o. A -concentrated alcoholic solution of acetate of magnesia added to this -liquid, produced no precipitate, but micaceous crystalline scales fell -on adding acetic acid, and upon adding more acetic acid, and heating, -besides these crystals, an oil floated on the surface, which solidified -on cooling, and which behaved like a fat, and gave the melting point of -palmitic acid, viz.: 62° (solidifies gradually from 47° to 39°.) The -crystals gave a small quantity of ash when burned on platina foil, and -on being decomposed by hydrochloric acid, gave a fat with the melting -point of stearic acid 72°-73°, and solidifying at 60°-55°. The mother -liquid contained too little fat to experiment upon. To another portion -of the liquid 6^o, alcoholic acetate of magnesia was added without -addition of acetic acid, and the solution evaporated in a retort. The -first crystals which appeared contained a fat which fused at 65°-68.5°, -and solidified at 62°-58°. - -The solid crystalline fat No. 6 which was removed from the liquid 6^o, -and which was the most highly purified result from the crystallization -of this specimen of adipocire, was now examined more particularly; -an alcoholic solution was made upon which to try the different -experiments. Fifteen grammes of the fat required 300 of alcohol of -93 per cent. to keep it in solution; but before having added so -much alcohol, on standing for a short time 0.656 grammes of pearly -crystalline scales fell, which had a melting point of 62.5°, and -solidified at 55.5°. The fat of the liquid after these crystals had -fallen, when precipitated by water, melted at 58°-61°, and solidified -at 55.5°: these crystals, recrystallized from alcohol, melted at 62.5°, -and solidified at 58°-57°; these were dissolved a third time, in -twenty times their weight of 93 per cent. alcohol, which deposited, on -standing, less than a milligramme of tufted crystals of the form of -palmitic acid, of which it had the melting point 62°: more alcohol was -added to the solution, and it was divided by fractional precipitation -with acetate of magnesia and the addition of a little ammonia with -heat, into two portions, weighing 0.256 and 0.164 grammes, and they had -the same melting point. This fat appears, therefore, to be palmitic -acid, one of the acids into which Heintz divided margaric acid. The -crystals deposited from alcohol do not at all resemble those of -margaric acid, but under the microscope are lamellar. These two fats -were converted respectively, by an excess of nitrate of silver, into -silver salts, 0·24725 gave 0·074 Ag. = 29·93 per cent. and 0·14275 gave -0·04175 Ag. = 29·25 per cent., which corresponds to the percentage of -silver in the palmitate of this base. - - - C_{32} 192.00 By calculation. Mean of two Exper. - H_{31} 31.00 - O_{4} 32.00 - Ag. 107.97 29.7 29.5 - —————— - 362.97 - -There is no doubt, therefore, of the presence of palmitic acid in the -fat of human adipocire. The second crop of crystals which fell from the -mother liquid of those just examined, contained a fat melting at 62°, -in all probability palmitic acid also. A determination of the silver -of the salt of this fat was lost in the following curious manner: The -silver salt was in lumps, as it had dried on the filter, and after -it had stood for a short time at 100 in a watch glass, thinking to -facilitate the escape of water, by pulverizing it in an agate-mortar, -it became so exceedingly electric, that of the whole quantity of silver -salt from 0.651 grammes of fat, I was not able to collect the smallest -portion for analysis; whether the powder was attempted to be removed by -steel, platinum, glass, a feather, or paper, on the first touch it flew -into the air, and alighted upon the table: I have often noticed this -behaviour in organic silver salts, and perhaps it would be worth while -to try whether one of them could not favourably replace the amalgam on -the cushion of the electrical machine. - -The following experiments were made upon the alcoholic solution -of the fats, from which the above portions of palmitic acid were -separated. Enough alcohol was added to this solution to prevent any -further deposit by standing, for which, as was before stated, 300 -alcohol were required for 15 fat. Its percentage of fat was determined -by evaporating the alcohol from a known quantity, and weighing the -residue; the melting point of this fat was 60.°5 to 61°. This melting -point was again determined after saponification, to ascertain whether -a fatty ether might not have been formed, and was found to be the -same. The alcoholic solution of acetate of magnesia was also titled -so that the necessary quantity might be added to the fat solution -by measurement: the fat under consideration should be, by Heintz’s -experiment, a mixture of stearic and the so called margaric acids, -together with impurities. - -Before proceeding to the fractional precipitation by acetate of -magnesia, the alcoholic fatty solution was treated with an excess of -acetate of magnesia, and an excess of acetic acid (aided by a little -warmth) added; the resulting liquid was then evaporated over sulphuric -acid (removing the crystals as they formed) in order to ascertain what -effect this treatment would have upon the melting points. On cooling, -a small quantity of a powdery precipitate fell, and after standing -for a couple of hours over sulphuric acid, the liquid crystallized -rather suddenly, to plates or scales, the melting point of which, after -treatment with acid, gave 62°; recrystallized from hot alcohol it -melted at 62°5-63°. - -[Transcribers note: Missing text.]precipitate the whole, was added; to the -filtrate an excess of the magnesia solution was added, and the fat -remaining in the filtrate from this precipitation was separated, as -was also that of the other two precipitates. The following results and -melting points are in their order as determined: - - (_a_) 0·351 melts 61° - (_b_) 0·527 melts 61° - (_c_) 0·085 melts 53° - loss 0·173 - ————— - 1.136 grammes. - -(_a_) and (_b_) were united, dissolved in alcohol, enough alcoholic -solution of acetate of magnesia to precipitate the half added, and -after standing for a couple of days, the precipitate was filtered off, -and ammonia added to alkaline reaction to the filtrate. The first -magnesia salt was translucent, and fused by heat to a transparent -liquid, which by more heat gradually grew darker, finally black, and -left a residue of magnesia. The melting point of the fat of this -substance was as before, 61°. - -The second magnesia salt was white and amorphous; it presented the same -relations to heat as the first, and contained a fat of the same melting -point, 61°. These fats were both brilliant white, lamellar, and of -rough surface. The first magnesia salt contained a per centage of 7·59 -MgO (0·25025 gave 0·019) and the second contained about double the per -centage of magnesia, viz.: 14·91; for 0·28 salt gave 0·04175 magnesia -by incineration. - -Neutral palmitate of magnesia C_{32}, H_{31}, O_{3} MgO gives by -calculation 7·6 per cent. magnesia, and basic palmitate C_{32}, H_{31}, -O_{3} 2 MgO gives 14·15 magnesia, which approaches the nearest to the -magnesia salt of the above fatty acids. - -The experiments of fractional precipitation of the normal solution -of fat 6°, were conducted in the same manner, and with the following -results, in which (_c_) and (_d_) represent the fatty acids of the two -magnesia salts, and (_e_) that of the portion not precipitated by an -excess of acetate of magnesia: - - (_c_) 0·474 melt pt. 59.5° - (_d_) 0·440 melt pt. 61.5° - (_e_) 0·356 melt pt. 58.5° - loss during the ex. 0·010 - ————— - 1·280 grammes of fat. - -The magnesia salts from which the fats (_c_) and (_d_) were separated, -gave as follows:—(_c_) 0·227 gave 0·01675 = 7·38 per cent. magnesia; -and (_d_) 0·1735 gave 0·012 = 6·92 magnesia. On comparing the melting -points of these fats, and making allowance for want of a more perfect -separation from impurities, there can be little doubt that they are -neutral palmitates of magnesia, as was before ascertained. According -to Heintz (Zoochemie, p. 1072,) stearic acid is C_{36}, H_{36}, -O_{4}, and the magnesia salt contains by calculation, 6·9 per cent. -of that base. The foregoing experiments upon the two specimens of -human adipocire were intended preliminary to a more thorough research -into their nature, by Heintz’s method; but this process requires such -a large quantity of substance in order to effect the separation of -small quantities of whatever new acid might be present, and the amount -of material dwindled so in the many necessary crystallizations from -alcohol to separate the dark-coloured impurities, and especially, since -the determinations and reactions already made, were so confirmatory -of what has lately been done in working upon the solid fatty acids, -I preferred placing aside the substances thus obtained for a future -examination, when the separation of fatty acids shall have become more -simplified, as it must be before long. - -(_c_) _Fossil adipocire of Bison Americanus obtained from a metacarpal -bone from Big Bone Lick, by Dr. Leidy._--It was a white powder, and -in pulverizable lumps; amorphous under the microscope; with a talcose -feel, and of density a little below 0·8365, since it barely swims upon -alcohol of that strength, while it sinks in absolute alcohol. Water -will not wet it; with the addition of hydrochloric acid and heat, it is -separated without effervescence, into a mineral solution, and into an -oil which solidifies on cooling to a nearly white fat, a small portion -of which melted on a glass slide solidifies to a confusedly crystalline -mass; a small quantity treated in the same way with absolute alcohol, -crystallizes in plumose and dendritic crystals, like margaric acid. -A portion of the adipocire boiled with absolute alcohol, yields but -a minute quantity to the solvent, and that not of a fatty nature, -showing that the fatty acid is wholly saponified with an earthy base. -The whole quantity of adipocire weighed 0·986 grammes. 0·16325 heated -in a platinum crucible, fuses, burning with a smoky flame and with the -smell of fatty acid, but no acroleine, leaving 0·0165 or 10·1 per cent. -of a perfectly white ash, which hydrochloric acid almost perfectly -dissolves without effervescence, and which consists almost entirely of -lime, with a few minute specks of oxide of iron (seen during the action -of the hydrochloric acid,) and a couple of small grains of sand: there -is a very small trace of phosphoric acid present. The greater portion -of the adipocire, 0·716 grammes, was decomposed by hydrochloric acid -and water, by the aid of heat: the decomposition took place with a -strong smell of rancid tallow, and the fundamental smell observed in -all adipocire was emitted. It was melted and washed several times, at -first with acidulated and finally with pure water. The water from the -washing, when evaporated, gave a certain quantity of brownish yellow -colouring matter. The fat was melted in the capsule in which the -precipitation took place, and weighed 0·618 or 86·31 per cent. of the -adipocire; when melted, a dark flocculent humus-like precipitate was -seen; the fat itself was yellowish, and of a flat, waxy (here and there -warty) surface. It melted at 51°. - -The adipocire therefore appears to be a lime soap of one of the fatty -acids, with a trace of phosphate of lime and with flocculent organic -matter, or in per centage approximately, - - Fatty acids and a little colouring matter, 86·31 - Lime and a trace of phosphate, 10·10 - Flocculent organic matter, 3·59 - —————— - 100.00 - -If the organic matter be neglected and the per centage then calculated, -we will have, - - Fatty acids, 89·5 - Lime, 10·5 - ————— - 100·0 - -Now Stearate, Margarate and Palmitate of Lime, respectively contain -a per centage of 9·3-9·7——10·2, of lime, so it is reasonable to -suppose (as there is nothing in its reaction contrary, but everything -favourable to this supposition) that the fossil adipocire is a neutral -lime soap of the usual fatty acids of tallow. - - -_Experiments upon the decomposition of muscular fibre (bullock’s heart) - with water, with a view to the formation of adipocire._ - -A portion of raw, and one of boiled muscular fibre from bullock’s -heart, were on March 8th, 1854, placed with water upon a microscope -slide, and covered with thin glass, which was closed with sealing wax -around the edge to prevent evaporation. This was repeatedly observed -during the year, and the attention was directed at times to particular -fibres the better to watch any change. At the commencement of the -experiment, the cross-markings of the fibre were distinct and the fibre -itself was of a delicate rose-colour. I find in my notes of April 8th, -and May 11th, that no change presented itself in either the raw or in -the boiled fibre, except that the cross-markings were more distinct. -On December 6th, 1854, but very little change was noticed, (the raw -fibre was whiter,) the cross-markings in both were more distinct than -ever; by high powers an amorphous precipitate was discovered in the -neighbourhood of some of the fibres--about one third of the water had -evaporated. - -_A._ On November 14th, 1853, 100 grammes of cheese were placed in a -loosely stoppered bottle, and covered with distilled water, a portion -of the same cheese being reserved for comparison: the water was renewed -as it evaporated. - -_Ba._ On November 19th, 1853, one half of a bullock’s heart, weighing -673 grammes, was placed, covered with Schuylkill water, in a -wide-mouthed stoppered bottle. - -_Bb._ The remaining half of the heart, weighing 816 grammes, was -covered with mineral water with lemon syrup. It was intended to use -plain mineral water in this experiment, that is, Schuylkill water -saturated with carbonic acid, but the former was sent by a mistake, -which was not discovered until too late. In these cases the fat was -partially removed from the heart, but not to any great extent. - -_C._ Boiled six eggs, removed the shells from two, which weighed then -88 grammes; ran pin-holes to the centre in two, which weighed 97 -grammes, and left the shells upon the remaining two, which weighed -96 grammes; these were together placed in a glass-stoppered bottle, -and covered with water. These different substances did not delay to -decompose and give out offensive odours, and the eggs especially -maintained their proverbial character in this respect; in fact, on the -approach of the cholera season I was obliged to place the bottle of -eggs on a plate, cover it with a large inverted beaker glass, and heap -the rim of the beaker with hypochlorite of lime. With regard to the -heart, the contents of the bottle containing mineral water, as might be -expected, preserved their lively red colour for a longer time than in -the case of the bottles containing river water. - -The appearance of these bottles, on December 13th, 1854, was as -follows:— - -The cheese _A_ was converted into a white, thick, grumous mass, lighter -than water, and which when diluted with a little water, presented the -appearance of pus; under the microscope with moderate power, angular -transparent fragments constituted the principal part, and among these, -polarized light showed many broken blade-shaped crystals without a -play of colours; a few globules of oil were also seen. The material -_A_ was removed to a glass-stoppered bottle, more water added, and was -set aside. A portion of the cheese used in this experiment had been -preserved in paper; it was found hard, and on the surface oily. It was -placed aside in a cork-stoppered bottle. - -_B._ The bullock’s heart had been so divided, that each half contained -an auricle and ventricle, which were placed in the bottles, (_a_) with -water, (_b_) with carbonic acid water. The appearance of the contents -of these bottles at present is similar, though (_a_) seems to be more -disintegrated. In both of these, the cavities and valves of the heart -maintain, in a measure, their form, and the chordæ tendineæ are in -perfect preservation: the serous covering of the heart is consistent; -and in (_b_) it is, in parts, quite black from sulphuret of iron. The -fluid in both bottles reacts strongly alkaline; when the mass of the -heart is cut open, the muscular fibre appears of a dirty, yellowish-red -colour, and when examined under the microscope, shows the fibre, but -without any of the cross-markings in (_b_). In (_a_), which was more -disintegrated, by the addition of water and a power of 700 diameters, -the fibre could be seen broken in small portions, and giving evident -traces of both longitudinal and cross-breaking up of the sarcous -substance. The fibres of (_a_), treated with hot and cold alcohol -evinced no change; with hot acetic acid they shrunk in dimensions. The -weight of (_a_) dripping with liquid was 330 grammes, that of (_b_) 275 -grammes. - -_C._ The Eggs.--The water was strongly alkaline; the shelled eggs were -seen in broken, yellowish-white lumps, and a thick deposit at the -bottom of the bottle, gave no evidence of crystallization under the -microscope with polarized light. The liquid from the eggs and from the -two heart experiments emitted rather a disagreeable odour, which was -mingled with an aldehyde smell. - -As decomposition had not advanced to its full extent in these bottles, -I preferred setting them aside for a future research, when both the -solid and the liquid contents will be examined. Braconnot’s[8] analysis -of bullock’s heart is as follows:— - - Water, 77·03 - Fibrine, cellular tissue, nerves, vessels, 17·18 - Albumen and colouring matter of the blood, 2·70 - Alcoholic extract and salts, 1·94 - Aqueous extract and salts, 1·15 - —————— - 100·00 - - - ARTIFICIAL FORMATION OF ADIPOCIRE. - -On December 8th, 1853, a bullock’s heart weighing 1240 grammes, -without removing its fat, was buried in sand in an inverted tubulated -receiver held in a retort stand, and so placed against the glass that -a portion of it could be seen: a reservoir of water was placed above -the receiver, and this water was suffered to fall, drop by drop, upon -the sand by means of a syphon of lamp-wick. The water was removed when -necessary, and the changes appearing in the heart observed. These -changes were the same as in the case of the bottled experiments; it -began soon to deepen in colour, and on May 11th, 1854, was quite dark, -while the liquid falling from the receiver contained a black amorphous -precipitate, which is probably, from Liebig’s observation of a similar -case, sulphuret of iron. A deep zone of green vegetable parasitic -matter was visible around the inside of the receiver, commencing within -half of an inch above the position of the heart where it was deepest -in colour, and thence diminishing as it approached the surface of the -sand. On June 7th, the heart was removed and dissected for the purpose -of viewing the extent of the decomposition: it maintained its original -form, but was larger; the separation of the chambers was apparent; -the valves present and the chordæ tendineæ in a perfect state; the -greater part of the fleshy walls of the heart was pinkish, soft, of the -consistence of lard, of putrid smell, and under the microscope (700 -D,) presented an amorphous mass, mingled with fragments of crossed -muscular fibre. It was not in as advanced a stage of decomposition as -the bottled hearts of December 13th, 1854. The fat which was purposely -left around the coronary vessels, was hard, white, and of an appearance -approaching that of adipocire. The heart was returned to the vessel and -the experiment continued. On my return to the city, after an absence -in the summer time, I found that the water reservoir and lamp wick had -fulfilled their duty, for the sand was still moist. On December 9th, -1854, the experiment was concluded, and the heart removed from the sand -and washed. It was in two pieces, and weighed, when still wet, 219 -grammes: after drying in the air for five days it weighed 107 grammes, -or 8·6 per cent. of the original weight, and was still moist. This was -principally the fat from around the coronary vessels, the impressions -of which were on it; the tendinous chords of the valves were perfect, -and the valves themselves were indicated. The smell was decidedly -tallowish, with the strong smell I have described as adipocire smell, -and with the smell of earth worms; all of these odours were plain, -and suggested themselves at once to the mind. The fat was hard, and -resembled exactly adipocire; it presented a different appearance in -two different places: one portion was hard and compact, in some parts -denser, in others lighter than water, and appeared granular under the -microscope, like the specimens of adipocire already described: the -other portion was of a more buttery nature, and of about the density -0·8365. Neither of these specimens gave any traces of fat globules -with the microscope, but contained aggregations of white angular fatty -matter, of nearly the same size, and about one fourth the diameter -of fat globules. With ether the fat disappeared, and left shrunken -membranous matter, which after the evaporation of the ether and -treatment with acetic acid, became, for the most part, transparent. A -comparative experiment with beef fat gave similar results, and I am -inclined to think that the most of this matter proceeds from the fat -cells,[9] and their accompanying cellular tissue. - -On cutting through the thickest portion of this adipocire, the fat was -of a pure white colour, and could not be distinguished from adipocire; -in some portions it was nearly an inch in thickness, and at first -sight certainly gave the impression that the fleshy walls of the heart -were converted into fat; but on closer inspection, this seemed to me -improbable. The lumps of adipocire were thickest at the top of the -heart, and just where were the lumps of fat in which the coronary -vessels were imbedded; moreover, it was the most like adipocire in -the centre of those very portions of fat. I obtained the approximate -density of the adipocire of this part, by diluting alcohol with water, -until the adipocire just swam half way between the surface and the -bottom of the liquid, and found it to be 0·8902, which is by experiment -lower than that of ox fat. Indeed, as would a priori seem probable, -the fat, by the gases evolved during the putrefaction of the proteine -bodies, is rendered more porous, and of a lower specific gravity, -which deceives the eye, and makes the mass of fat to appear greater -than it really is. An ash determination of this part of the adipocire -performed upon 1·471 grammes, yielded 0·0015, equal to 0·102 per cent. -of a reddish ash, containing iron. No acroleine was observed during -this experiment, and no other than the characteristic adipocire smell, -which proves the absence of glycerine, and that the fatty acids are -uncombined. Ox fat (2·069) gave (0·001, or) a per centage of 0·048 -white ash. The iron of the former proceeds probably from the hæmatine -in the heart. These ashes are too small in quantity, to arrive at any -satisfactory result in ascertaining the nature of their component -parts; they appeared by a few tests to contain principally lime, and -soda and potash were detected by Smith’s test. The melting point of -the above portion of adipocire was about 47°, but at 52° the fat still -contained a faint precipitate. - -The adipocire, on February 3d, 1855, until which time it had been kept -in a loosely stoppered bottle, weighed 97 grammes, which is 7·8 per -cent. of the original heart. From 91 grammes the fat was separated -by boiling it with 317 alcohol, filtering hot, pressing powerfully, -and weighing the residue; the latter was bulky, and weighed 40·1, -corresponding to 44 per cent. of the _adipocire_, which contains, -consequently, only 66 per cent. of fat. If the per centage of fat be -calculated from the original weight of the _heart_, it amounts to -only 4·4, which is undoubtedly less than was originally in the heart, -so that, so far from there being a gain of fat in the formation of -the adipocire, there was actually a loss, which accords with the -bottle experiments. The alcoholic solution deposited 16·2 grammes -of a rather dark fat, which was recrystallized from 368 grammes of -alcohol, and yielded 11 grammes of a lighter fat. I was desirous of -retaining a greater portion of this fat for future experiments, and -without proceeding to purify it further, obtained its equivalent. It -melted between 69°-70°, did not crystallize plainly from alcohol, with -which it behaved like stearic acid: a neutral silver salt, deepened -in colour considerably when dried at 100°, and gave only 20·59 and -20·68 per cent. of silver. As decomposition had evidently taken place -in this salt, the baryta compound was prepared by adding acetate of -baryta to the alcoholic solution. The baryta was determined both as -carbonate and by converting into sulphate; there was no difference -in the two results; the baryta of the carbonate was 0·1701, and that -of the sulphate was 0·1700, which corresponds to a per centage of -19·65--stearic acid (Heintz) requires 21·76 per cent., and palmitic -acid 23·62 per cent. of baryta for the neutral salts. I have no doubt -that a further purification will show this to be stearic acid, as might -be expected from the original fat of the heart. - -I am not desirous of claiming for these experiments a greater -importance than they deserve, nor any but that the experiments were -carefully performed: they were extended over the greater part of a -year, during which my attention has been particularly directed to -this subject. When the investigation was commenced, I was inclined -to the belief that adipocire was a result of the decomposition -of the blood-forming substances, and this, principally, from the -experiments of Blondeau (see first part of this article) which I have -not seen refuted, and partly from the testimony of those who have had -opportunities of observing the formation of adipocire, and who have -stated that fleshy parts of the body are wholly converted into it. -The formation of the lower terms of the series of fatty acids from -proteine bodies forbids maintaining that this is impossible; but from -what I have seen, and on weighing the evidence of what I have read, my -impression is, that adipocire proceeds from the original fat of the -body. - -It appears to follow from the foregoing experiments, that the -higher members of the series of fatty acids do not result from the -putrefaction of proteine compounds; at least from such putrefaction -as is accompanied by exclusion of air. Flesh fibrine with restriction -of air does not putrefy as rapidly as would be supposed, according to -the experiment, where a portion was sealed with water on a microscope -slide; the air here was not absolutely excluded, since a partial -evaporation of the water took place. It is true that the amount of -water in this experiment was small, in proportion to the fibrine, -and it appears that much water is necessary to such decomposition, -and which supports Liebig’s theory of the motion of the molecules. -In the experiments of the bottles and of the sand, the decomposition -was _seen to take place_ gradually; the sarcous element of the flesh -fibrine separated into discs, and these were by degrees resolved into -their simpler compounds, which either remained as liquids or gases -in solution in the bottles, or were carried off by the droppings -in the sand experiment. The original fat of the body, according to -circumstances, either partakes of this decomposition, or else, losing -its glycerine and most of its oleic acid, becomes gradually converted -into adipocire. In some bodies in the grave yards the fat is totally -gone, while in others large quantities of adipocire are formed. It is -suggestive that in all cases where adipocire has been found, the corpse -was of a large and fat person, and this abundance of fat resists an -ultimate decomposition. Analyses by Beetz of candles which had remained -for a hundred years in a mine, prove that the only alteration undergone -by fats when alone, is destruction of their oleine and glycerine. -In the bottles of my experiments no adipocire was formed, although -the fat of the coronary vessels was only partially removed; this -may be accounted for on the ground that the fat, which was small in -quantity, was here kept in close contact with the decomposing fibrine, -and suffered with it decomposition, whereas in the sand experiment, -this could only take place to a less degree. In grave yards, if the -proportion of flesh to fat be large, and especially if the ground be of -such a nature as to prevent the decomposed matter being carried off, -as by draining, adipocire cannot be formed, but the fat undergoes full -decomposition. - -The fact that in adipocire from different animals, the same substances -are found accompanying the original fat of the animal, as the goat-like -or mutton smell in sheep, and the tallow smell of the fossil adipocire, -is suggestive, and should shift the burden of experimental proof upon -those who maintain the formation of this substance from fibrine. The -microscopic experiments militate against the transformation from -fibrine. Those that believe in this change think to have proof from -the shape, as it were, of certain muscles transformed into fat; -but fibrine does not require to lose much substance in the shape -of ammonia, &c., for this transformation, and there would not be, -therefore, a great disturbance in the shape of the fibres of muscle; at -any rate, it would be reasonable to expect, that with the microscope, -traces of an arrangement of the fatty particles into fibres or rows -would here and there be seen, but this is not the case, and the -appearance is that of fat particles of equal size among themselves, -and of a diameter one-fourth that of the original fat globules, and -indeed presenting all the appearances to be expected from a mass -of fat undergoing alteration from the decomposition of its oleine -and glycerine; and finally in the experiment where adipocire was -artificially formed, no gain of fat was observed, but a loss of what -was purposely left upon the specimen under examination. - -I shall delay an examination of the products in my hands, until the -separation of the fatty acids is improved. It would be easy enough -with the present methods to isolate the two principal constituents of -the fatty acids from the material in hand; but small quantities of new -products would inevitably escape observation. - -The _desiderata_ in working the fatty acids at present, are, First, -separation of the oleic acid, without too much loss of substance. - -Second, a less circuitous method of separating the fatty acids than -by Heintz’s method, which renders difficult the isolation of small -quantities of a different acid, as shown by his mistake of anthropic -acid. - -It is probable that a crystallization of salts (especially with -a base of a high equivalent) would effect this purpose, for in -crystallization, other compounds and impurities are concentrated in -the mother liquids, while in fractional precipitation, in the present -case, an infinite subdivision seems to take place, requiring many steps -to accomplish a sufficient purification; and brilliant as Heintz’s -results are, considerable labour was required to arrive at them. -Heintz’s process of partial precipitation was founded upon the method -of fractional distillation, proposed by Liebig for the separation of -the lower members of the series of fatty acids; in the latter case -presence of an alkaline carbonate, in quantity insufficient to saturate -the mixed acids, alters their volatility, while in the former, presence -of a salt in insufficient quantity for perfect decomposition changes -the relations of _solubility_ of the salt formed, and it does not -necessarily follow that the chemical affinity, active in both cases, -will afford as _expeditious_ a method in cases of solubility as in -those of volatility. - - - FOOTNOTES: - -[1] Liebig thinks this probable. Ch. Briefe. - -[2] The degrees of thermometer in this article are centigrade, and the -weights grammes. - -[3] Lehmann, Lehrbuch. - -[4] Lehrbuch, III. p. 187. - -[5] Lehmann. - -[6] The liquid from No. 3 was all absorbed by the pressing cloths, and -not collected. - -[7] Since the above was written, I have received the Journal für Pract. -Chemic., Heft III. Band LXIII. in which some late results by Heintz on -this point are communicated. He artificially prepared chemically pure -stearine from the acid and glycerine, by Berthelot’s process, and found -that it had two melting points, first at 55°, then solidifying and -melting again when the heat reached 71.6°. - -[8] Ann. de Ch. & de Ph., xvii. p. 390. - -[9] See Kolliker, Mic. 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Wetherill, Ph.D. M.D.—A Project Gutenberg eBook - </title> - <link rel="icon" href="images/cover.jpg" type="image/x-cover" /> - <style> /* <![CDATA[ */ - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - h1,h2,h3 { - text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ - clear: both; -} - -p { - margin-top: .51em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: .49em; -} - -.spaced {margin-top: 3em; margin-bottom: 3em;} - -hr { - width: 33%; - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - margin-left: 33.5%; - margin-right: 33.5%; - clear: both; -} - -@media print { hr.chap {display: none; visibility: hidden;} } - - -table { - margin-left: auto; - margin-right: auto; -} -table.autotable { border-collapse: collapse; } -table.autotable td, th {padding-left: 1em;} -.tdl {text-align: left;} -.tdr {text-align: right;} -.tdc {text-align: center;} -.tdr_bt {text-align: right; border-top: 1px solid black;} - -.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ - /* visibility: hidden; */ - position: absolute; - left: 92%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; - font-weight: normal; - font-variant: normal; - text-indent: 0; -} /* page numbers */ - - -.blockquot { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - - -.center {text-align: center;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} - -.allsmcap {font-variant: small-caps; text-transform: lowercase;} -.small {font-size: small;} - - -/* Footnotes */ -.footnotes {border: 1px dashed;} - -.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} - -.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} - -.fnanchor { - vertical-align: super; - font-size: .8em; - text-decoration: - none; -} - - -/* Transcriber's notes */ -.transnote {background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - font-size:smaller; - padding:0.5em; - margin-bottom:5em; - font-family:sans-serif, serif; } - - - /* ]]> */ </style> -</head> -<body> -<p style='text-align:center; font-size:1.2em; font-weight:bold'>The Project Gutenberg eBook of On Adipocire, and its formation, by Charles M. Wetherill</p> -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online -at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">www.gutenberg.org</a>. If you -are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the -country where you are located before using this eBook. -</div> - -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:1em; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Title: On Adipocire, and its formation</p> -<p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em'>Author: Charles M. Wetherill</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Release Date: October 12, 2022 [eBook #69141]</p> -<p style='display:block; text-indent:0; margin:1em 0'>Language: English</p> - <p style='display:block; margin-top:1em; margin-bottom:0; margin-left:2em; text-indent:-2em; text-align:left'>Produced by: deaurider, Les Gallowaay and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)</p> -<div style='margin-top:2em; margin-bottom:4em'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS FORMATION ***</div> -<div class="transnote"> -<h3>Transcriber’s Notes</h3> - -<p>Obvious typographical errors have been silently corrected. Variations -in hyphenation and accents have been standardised but all other -spelling and punctuation remains unchanged. -</p> -<p>Temperatures ranges, variously expressed as 54°-55°, 54°, 55° and 54° -55°, have been standardised as 54°-55°. Fractional temperatures have -been standardised as XX.X°.</p></div> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</span></p> - - - - - -<h1><small>ON</small><br /> - -ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS FORMATION.</h1> - -<p class="center spaced">BY CHARLES M. WETHERILL, PH.D. M.D.</p> - -<hr class="small" /> -<p class="center"><small>[From the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society.]</small></p> -<hr class="small" /> - -<p>The formation of fat is interesting, both from a chemical and a physiological point of -view. The relation of lignine starch and sugar to alcohol, afforded reasons for Liebig’s -theory of the formation of fat in the body. Recent experiments by Liebig, Bopp, Guckelberger, -Keller and others, on the formation of the lower terms of the series of fatty acids by -the oxidation and putrefaction of the blood-forming substances, rendered possible the -formation of the higher members, from albumen, fibrin and caseine, by similar means,<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> for -example, by a less intense degree of oxidation. It was thought that the study of adipocire, -with a view to this question, would perhaps throw some light upon it; and upon reading -all the articles within my reach, upon this body, from the time of its discovery by Fourcroy, -I find a considerable difference of opinion with regard to it.</p> - -<p>In 1785, Fourcroy examined a portion of a liver which had hung for ten years in the air -in the laboratory of de la Salle; it was fatty, smooth, and unctuous to the touch. Potash -lye dissolved a portion of the liver completely, forming a soap. Subsequently, when he -had examined the fat of grave yards, and spermaceti, he proposed to name these three fats,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</span> -viz.: of biliary calculi, spermaceti, and from grave yards, adipocire, considering them to -be identical, and possessing an intermediate nature between fat and wax. Chevreul, in his -fifth Memoire, corrects this error, and calls the fat of gall stones cholesterine, and that of -spermaceti cetine.</p> - -<p>In 1786-7, Fourcroy had an opportunity of studying the fat of grave yards, in the removal -of the bodies from the Cemetière des Innocens, a work which lasted for two years, -and which was supervised by Dr. Thouret, who was placed there to care for the health of -the workmen. The substance was abundantly found, and especially in the “fouilles,” or -ditches, where the slightly made coffins of the poorer classes had been piled one upon -another; the trench being open for some time until it was filled with bodies, when it was -covered with a slight quantity of earth; on opening the trenches after some fifteen years, -the bodies were converted into adipocire; they were flattened by mutual pressure, and had -impressions on their surface of the grave clothes. Fourcroy’s analysis proved it to be a -soap of ammonia, with phosphate of lime, and the fat, melted at 52.°5° C.<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> He supposed -adipocire to arise from the putrefaction of all animal matter, except hair, nails, and bones, -for he states that in the carcasses of all animals exposed upon the borders of pieces of -water, a fatty, white, fusible substance resembling spermaceti is found.</p> - -<p>Perhaps the earliest record on this change from flesh to fat, is to be found in Lord Bacon’s -Sylva Sylvarum, where he says, (article Fat,) “Nearly all flesh may be turned into a fatty -substance, by cutting it into pieces and putting it into a glass covered with parchment, -then letting the glass stand six or seven hours in boiling water.” This may be a profitable -experiment for making fat or grease; but then it must be practised upon such flesh as is -not edible, viz.: that of horses, dogs, bears, foxes, badgers, &c.</p> - -<p>George Smith Gibbes, 1794, observed that in Oxford, in the pits where were thrown -the remains of dissections, and at the bottom of which flowed a gentle current of water, -large quantities of adipocire were formed. He placed a piece of beef in the river in a box -pierced with holes, and also a piece in which putrefaction in the air had commenced, and -adipocire resulted in both cases. He proposes to make use of this property to utilize the -dead bodies of animals, and states that nitric acid will effect the same change in three or -four days.</p> - -<p>John Bostock (Nicholson’s Journal, March, 1803,) digested muscular fibre with dilute -nitric acid, and washed with water: the result was a clear, yellow fat, of the consistence -of tallow, melting at 33° C. Is less soluble in alcohol than Fourcroy’s substance: the -greater part deposits nearly white on cooling, and the residue can be precipitated from the -alcohol by water. Hot ether dissolves it and abandons it on cooling; caustic alkali forms -a soap; ammonia dissolves but little of the fat.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</span></p> - -<p>Chevreul, on repeating this experiment with pure fibrine, could obtain no fat. Hartkol, -(Ure’s Dict. art. Adipocire,) experimented for twenty-five years on adipocire, and concluded -that it is not formed in dry grounds, that in moist earth the fat does not increase, but -changes to a fetid mass, incapable of being made into candles. Animals in running water -leave a fat after three years, which is more abundant in the intestines than in the muscles, -and more fat is formed in stagnant, than in running water.</p> - -<p>Chevreul, 1812, found the fat of church yards to contain margaric and oleic acids, combined -with yellow colouring and odorous matters, also lime, potash, oxide of iron, lactic -acid salts and azotized matter. He supposes the fatty acids are liberated from their -glycerine by ammonia, which subsequently itself escapes, and that adipocire is thus formed -from the original fat of the body.</p> - -<p>Gay Lussac, (An. de Ch. et de Ph. iv. 71,) adopts the same views. He subjected finely -chopped muscular fibre deprived of its fat by ether, to the action of water, and did not -succeed in forming adipocire.</p> - -<p>Von Bibra, (Annalen der Chem. und Ph. 56, p. 106,) in an examination of the flesh of -the leg of a Peruvian mummy, a child, obtained 19.7 per cent, of fat, which he supposes -to have been formed from the muscles. In comparison, dry human muscle from several -analyses by himself, gives nine per cent. of fat. The muscular fibre of the mummy, after -treatment with ether, presented the same appearance under the microscope, as fresh muscle -placed in the same circumstances. Bibra states in the same article, that he is fully convinced -of the change of muscle to fat, having obtained a human corpse in which all the -parts of flesh were nearly wholly converted into fat.</p> - -<p>Blondeau, (Comptes Rendus, Sep. 6th, 1847, and Ch. Gazette, same year, p. 422,) arrived -at the same conclusion from an examination of the Roquefort cheese manufacture. This -cheese is placed in dark, damp, cool cellars to ripen. Before this treatment, the cheese -contained 1∕200 of its weight of fat, and after two months in the cellars the caseine was -almost wholly converted into a fat, which melts at 40°, boils at 80°, and decomposes at -150°C. The unaltered caseine could be removed from it, by mere melting with boiling -water. In an additional experiment, a pound of beef free from fat was slightly salted, surrounded -with paste, and placed in a cellar; after two months, it had undergone no putrid -decomposition, and was converted, for the greater part, into a fatty body, presenting the -greatest analogy to hog’s lard. In these instances a number of parasite plants are observed -on the material, and it is necessary to scrape the cheese from time to time, to free it from -these mycodermic plants, which are reproduced with fresh energy. As these plants require -ammonia for their development, Blondeau supposes it can only come from the nitrogen -of its caseine, and that fat is one of the results of the caseine decomposition.</p> - -<p>Gregory, (Annalen der Chem. und. Ph. 61, p. 362,) examined the adipocire of a fat hog<span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</span> -which had died of sickness, and had been buried for fifteen years in moist ground; at the -bottom of the grave was the adipocire in a layer hardly an inch in thickness; it contained -¼ stearic and ¼ margaric and oleic acids, together with from 1.5 to 3.5 per cent. lime. The -glycerine was all gone, and so was the bone earth, which together with the flesh were removed, -as Gregory supposes, by the carbonic acid of the rain water, leaving the original -fatty acids of the body.</p> - -<p>Prof. Hünefeld, (Jour. für Pr. ch. 7, p. 49,) examined a loaf of rye bread, which had -been buried for at least eighty years in a turf-moor, and found 2.2 per cent. of a waxy or -fatty substance, and he refers to an examination by Bracconot, of a mouldered wheat bread -containing, among other substances, a fatty body. Hünefeld supposes that the substance -of the bread was displaced by the turf material, the form of the loaf being retained; and -admits the possibility of the bread substance partaking in part a change into resin and -waxy humus.</p> - -<p>R. Wagner, (Ch. Gazette, vol. 9, p. 306,) transplanted the recently removed testicles of -rabbits and frogs into the abdominal cavity of fowls; the testicles of fowls into other fowls -and pigeons, those of pigeons into fowls, and fresh crystalline lens into fowls and pigeons -which were killed after ten or fifteen days. The testicles of frogs contained three per cent. -of fat, which was augmented to 5.15 per cent. In one case the crystalline lens, after the -experiment, contained 47.86 per cent. of fat; in a number of other experiments on lenses, the -result was of from 7 to 15 per cent. of fat, calculated for the dry substance of the lens; carefully -cleaned portions of frog intestines filled with coagulated blood of pigeons and calves, -fat free muscle from the thigh of a frog, and boiled white of hen’s egg, in similar conditions, -all gave fat.</p> - -<p>These experiments were repeated by Husson and Burdach,<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> enveloping the nitrogenized -substances in bags or coatings of gutta percha, caoutchouc and collodion. They found -the substance well preserved, but no change into fat; so that admission of the animal juices -must conduce to it, if the change be possible. Burdach placed porous vegetable substances, -as wood and tinder, in the abdominal cavity, and found a deposit of fat on them, and -which was imbibed in the pores, which speaks against the change in question. Finally, -Burdach determined the fat of the egg of <i>Linnæus stagnalis</i>, and detected a considerable -increase of it during the development of the embryo; but, on the other hand, the egg contains -sugar from which the fat could have been formed; and in opposition to this the -quantity of sugar in hens’ eggs has been noticed rather to increase than diminish during -incubation.</p> - -<p>Quain & Virchow quoted by Lehmann,<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a> examined muscle changed in macerating troughs -to adipocire, and are of opinion that the fibrine is here changed to fat. I have questioned<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</span> -my medical friends, who have had experience in this matter, and find them to hold the -same opinions. Prof. Leidy, who macerated with water the bodies of small animals, in -stoppered bottles, to obtain their skeletons, found that the deposition of adipocire upon the -bones was quite abundant.</p> - -<p>The physiological question of the formation of fat, has been fully discussed within the -past ten years, and it has been proven by diet and analysis, that herbivorous animals possess -more fat than is taken in their food; but whether the fat be formed wholly from non-nitrogenized -or from nitrogenized bodies, or partially from both, is yet undecided. Pathological -considerations from the fatty degeneration of several of the organs, where the fat is -found both within and without the cell,<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> appear likewise to have divided scientific men as -to its origin, whether from a change of the proteine compounds of the organs, or from an -abnormal plastic activity. The connexion of the organs of generation with the deposit of -fat, and the increase of the latter after castration, is worthy of consideration; for the -cutting off the supply of the highly albuminous semen, gives an impulse to the fat formation. -The flesh and the fat of the body stand in an intimate relation to each other, and -neither the non-nitrogenized nor the nitrogenized diet exclusively is conducive to health. -<i>Repose</i> is necessary, (with a proper diet,) to the formation of fat, and as the activity of the -muscles requires their reparation from the food, perhaps it is as much this wearing away -by activity, that hinders the formation of fat, as the increased combustion by the quickened -respiration. It therefore appears to me probable that both classes of food conduce to -the fat formation.</p> - -<p>It was thought that the study of adipocire would throw some light upon the question, -whether fat be formed from proteine compounds, and I was surprised to find the great -difference of opinion as to the formation and nature of this body, and in general, as to the -changes that bodies undergo in grave yards. These various changes are ascribed by undertakers -to the nature of the soil, to its dryness or moisture; but in a late removal of a grave -yard in this city, some bodies were found converted into adipocire, the graves of which -were contiguous to those in which decomposition had advanced to its full extent, leaving -nothing but the skeleton. The preservation of some bodies seems inexplicable, according -to our present knowledge, of which I may cite the well known case of General Washington, -(who was not embalmed,) who having reposed in his tomb for more than forty years, was -so perfectly preserved, as to have been recognised from the resemblance of his portraits. -The problems proposed for this research were:—</p> - -<p>1st. The chemical examination of different kinds of adipocire.</p> - -<p>2d. To watch the decomposition of flesh with water, and imitating the condition of a -body in moist ground.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</span></p> - -<p>With regard to the first of these, I possessed the following specimens of adipocire:</p> - -<p>(<i>a</i>) Two from sheep buried at the country seat of the late J. P. Wetherill.</p> - -<p>(<i>b</i>) Two from human subjects, which I obtained myself from a grave yard.</p> - -<p>(<i>c</i>) From a fossil ox, presented by Prof. Leidy.</p> - - -<h2>(<i>a</i>) <span class="allsmcap">SHEEP ADIPOCIRE.</span></h2> - -<p>Specimens of this adipocire were presented to the Academy of Natural Sciences, by my -uncle, who found them at his country seat, opposite Valley Forge, buried in moist ground, -near a drain which led water from a spring-house. About ten years previously, the shepherd -in charge of a flock of sheep indulged in a drunken spree, and in the meanwhile some -fifteen of the sheep in his care died from neglect, and were buried in the above mentioned -spot. My uncle, who was present at the exhumation of the sheep, stated that in some of -the remains, the exterior forms of the muscles were very distinct. The two specimens -I obtained were in lumps, amorphous under the microscope, floating on water; of greasy -feel, and rank mutton smell, mingled with a peculiar disagreeable fundamental smell, that -I have observed in all my specimens of adipocire, including the fossil one. Heated in a -capsule with water, a transparent fat floats melted on the surface; heated alone in a -platinum crucible, it melts and burns with a smoky flame, leaving a slight residue, which -effervesces with hydrochloric acid, and contains beside sand and a little iron, principally -lime. Under the microscope with moderate powers, it is white, fatty, and granular, disappearing -with Canada balsam; with higher powers it is amorphous: melted on the glass -slide covered with thin glass, is crystalline on cooling, in groups of plumose crystals, which -give a beautiful play of colours with polarized light; a drop of its weak alcoholic solution -evaporated spontaneously on glass gave the same appearance of crystallization. Water -added to this solution precipitated it in the form of a pure white amorphous powder: distilled -per se, leaves a slight carbonaceous residue, and gives a volatile fat, yellowish, and -cryst, on cooling. This volatile fat is soluble in hot alcohol, and precipitates partly on cooling. -The weight of material was seventy grammes; it was melted in the water bath, and -filtered through paper in a hot funnel; the filtered solidified fat was of a light coffee colour, -and weighed fifty-four grammes; in a capillary tube, is soft at 54°, fluid at 62°; on cooling -becomes opaque at 50°. When pressed in paper, the latter is greased by oleic acid; it contains -no ammonia, nor any nitrogen by the potassium test; the residue on the filter (together -with the filter) was boiled with alcohol, filtered hot on a weighed filter, and washed with -alcohol. This alcoholic solution deposited twelve grammes of fatty acid, by spontaneous -evaporation, during the summer. The crystals at first deposited were white and warty; -a portion of the alcoholic solution on a glass slide, exhibited with the microscope, white, -curved dendritic forms, arranged stellate; in the capillary tube, they begin to melt at 53°,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</span> -are fluid at 62°, and on cooling begin to cloud at 58°, and are opaque at 50°. The residue on -the filter weighed about four grammes, and viewed under the microscope, consisted of membranous -matter, wool, dirt, and the white element of cellular tissue; it gave ammonia with -potassa solution, and nitrogen by Laissaigne’s test, together with a strong smell of phosphuretted -hydrogen when the water was added in the latter test. This residue burned, -gave thirty per cent. of ash. The following is the per centage result for the adipocire:—</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Solid fatty acids, a little oleic acid, and coally matter,</td> -<td class="tdr">94.2</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Membranous matter and cellular tissue,</td> -<td class="tdr">2.3</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Ash and dirt,</td> -<td class="tdr">3.5</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">100.0</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>The portion of fatty acid which passed through the filter by melting, contained 0.73 -per cent. of a dark-coloured ash, principally lime, with iron, and traces of phosphoric and -sulphuric acids, potash and soda. The potash and soda were detected by Dr. Lawrence -Smith’s beautiful method by polarized light, which I have frequently used with success. -In this instance, the quantity of material was so small, that neither the potash nor soda -could be detected by the usual method.</p> - -<p>[An experiment was tried to ascertain whether the fatty acids would dissolve phosphate -of lime. About six or eight grammes of fatty acid, (the residue from the hot press of -the candle factories, crystallized from much alcohol, and of which one gramme left no -appreciable ash by experiment) were kept for half an hour melted with pulverized bone -ashes. One gramme of this gave an ash of only a quarter of a milligramme; when this was -dissolved in hydrochloric acid and neutralized by ammonia, it was impossible to conclude -whether there was a precipitate or not.]</p> - -<p>Sixty grammes of the fatty acids were then saponified with potash lye, according to -Chevreul’s proportions, during which operation neither ammonia nor cholesterine could be -detected. The soap was decomposed by tartaric acid, and washed several times by melting -with water; it dissolved thus in alcohol with reddish brown colour, and after filtering -hot, was suffered to deposit the greater part of its fat on cooling. The crystals thus deposited -were nacreous scales, and of lustre like the feathers of moth wings; when melted, -they weighed 26 grammes, and had a goat-like smell; by further standing, the alcohol -deposited four grammes of very translucent crystals, with traces of stellar groupings. A -third crop of crystals by spontaneous evaporation was obtained, which was small in -quantity, weighing 0.6 grammes, and, when melted, cooled with a flat, waxy, surface, -with traces of stellar aggregations. The mother alcohol of this last crystallization, was -treated with an alcoholic solution of acetate of lead. The lead salts, treated in the usual -manner by ether, yielded a few drops of very highly coloured oleic acid. From the insoluble -lead salts, the fat was separated.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</span></p> - -<p>The alcoholic solution from which the oleate and other lead salts were precipitated by -acetate of lead, was evaporated to dryness, and treated by ether, when another portion of -oleic acid was obtained. It results from this that the quantity of oleic acid in the adipocire -is small. The greater portion of the lead salt was insoluble in ether and alcohol, its -fat was separated and added to the first crop of crystals which fell from the alcoholic solution -of the fat from saponification. To ascertain whether any glycerine was in combination -with the fatty acids in the adipocire, the aqueous solution from which the crop was -precipitated by tartaric acid during the purification of the fat, was heated, filtered from -small fat globules, and after removing the tartar deposit, subjected to distillation. The -acid residue of the retort was neutralized by carb. potash, and after evaporating on the -water bath was exhausted with absolute alcohol, which proved the absence of glycerine, -as it gave on evaporating nothing but a small residue of colouring matter, which was -yellow, and of a bitter taste.</p> - -<p>The distillate in this experiment had a goat-like smell, and it was doubtful whether it -reacted acid to litmus paper. Baryta water was added to alkaline reaction, for which -but a small quantity was needed, and the solution evaporated. There was but little residue, -which, on the addition of a drop of hydrochloric acid and water, emitted a rancid smell, -but no oil globule appeared; the volatile fatty acids may, therefore, be considered to be -present in the adipocire only in faint traces.</p> - -<p>The following melting points were obtained:—The first crop of crystals from the alcoholic -solution of the fat after saponification, which, when melted, cooled with a stellated -surface, tried three times by dipping the thermometer bulb in the melted solution, and -noting the temperature when it became opaque, gave 55° for the solidifying point. In a -capillary tube, begins to melt at 57°, fluid at 59°, on cooling, opaque at 55°; this portion -was taken from the capsule on melting the fat, before the whole mass was melted: another -portion taken when all was fluid, and after stirring, gave the same results.</p> - -<p>The crystalline appearance of the second crop of crystals from the alcoholic solution -after saponification, when melted and suffered to cool in a capsule, is similar to that of the -first crop; in the capillary tube, begins to melt at 53°, fluid at 54°—55°, on cooling, crystals -form in the tube at 51°, and is opaque at 50°. The melting point of the third crop of -crystals was 50.5°. In ascertaining the melting points of the different fats described in -this paper, I tried the various modes in use, and settled at first upon the following:—A -beaker of distilled water (which must be boiled just before using, to prevent air globules -settling upon the capillary tubes, which would falsify the result) is placed upon wire -gauze upon a retort stand in front of a window, the thermometer hangs, by a string, in -this water from another stand, and the lamp must be moveable from under the beaker -glass. A piece of string is tied so loosely around the top of the (cylindrical) mercury<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</span> -reservoir of the thermometer, that the different capillary tubes may be readily slipped in -and out on raising the thermometer from the water; the heat from the lamp must be such -that the temperature of the water rises gradually; the capillary tubes are so placed that -they lie closely to the mercury of the thermometer, and when the temperature approaches -the melting point, the water is stirred with the thermometer to equalize the heat, the lamp -is then removed, and the point of solidification observed in the usual way. I doubt very -much the use of noting the point of solidification, as it is influenced so much by extraneous -circumstances. The cooling of water and certain salts below their solidifying points, is -well known, and the same must take place in these instances. Heintz has noticed how -the thermometer rose ten degrees in determining the solidifying point of melted human -fat. In one of my experiments, the fat in the tube was separated by minute air globules -into three or four columns, quite close together; in observing the fusing point, they all -melted at the same instant; but in solidifying, one would be quite clear while those on -either side had become opaque, no matter how much the tube was stirred or vibrated by -striking the beaker glass. After having observed this in several instances, I abandoned -taking the points of solidification, and modified the process for the fusing point, by keeping -the water as near that point as possible, and repeatedly lifting the thermometer and -attached capillary tube out of the water for a few seconds, that the fat might solidify, and -noting the fusing point as that at which it at once becomes liquid; this point is reached -twice; first, when the water is being heated, and secondly, as it is cooling: I have found -by repetition of the same experiment, that the degree thus obtained, is constant from the -first, and I think gives the most accurate results. The mode of using capillary tubes for -the fusing points, is convenient, as, at the close of the experiment, they can be sealed at -the open end, and placed on a card with descriptions, for future reference. I weighed -the quantity of fat in one instance, and found that half a milligramme was much more -than enough to obtain the melting point with the capillary tube.</p> - - -<h2>(<i>b</i>) <span class="allsmcap">HUMAN ADIPOCIRE.</span></h2> - -<p>Towards the close of the year 1853, I visited a grave yard in Philadelphia, the remains of -which were being removed, and from which, through the kindness of the superintendent, -I obtained specimens of adipocire and valuable information. The surface of the burial ground -was depressed about four or six feet below that of the neighbouring streets, and was of a very -moist nature. Many of the bodies were converted more or less into adipocire, and of these, -all had been large persons. There was none among the remains of children. I obtained -specimens from two persons.</p> - -<p>No. 1, was from a large man, which had been buried from ten to fifteen years; the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</span> -ground was very moist, and the coffin rotten; the grave was seven feet deep. The adipocire -was from the middle of the coffin, and was in irregular lumps.</p> - -<p>No. 2, was from a very large man; buried five or six years; the ground moist, though -not so much so as number one; the grave five feet deep. The ground around the -coffin was of a bloody colour, and all of the body was decayed, except the lower portion. -The shape of the rump was plain, and the legs separate; the fat was at the bottom of the -coffin, and the bones (femur, tibia) were lying along it. The adipocire contained an impression -of the bone, was spongy and dark-coloured on the inside; and on the outside it -was smooth, white, and presented impressions of the grave clothes, and here and there -appearances as if of the hair follicles and sebaceous glands, but which lost this appearance -when viewed with the microscope. There was no hair on this specimen. The pieces of -adipocire of this specimen were large, at the thickest part being about three inches in -thickness; they presented the shape of different parts of the leg, though flattened; tough -fibrous bands, like aponeuroses, were seen in some parts traversing the mass of fatty matter.</p> - -<p>The appearance of these two specimens with the microscope, was very similar to each -other and to the sheep adipocire. Powder scraped from them, with a fine needle, gave no -appearance of fat globules, but irregular masses, mingled with membranous matter; a portion -sliced off with a sharp knife, presented by reflected light, brilliant, white, irregular -fatty fragments, but no traces of globules. When alcohol was added with heat, the fat -disappeared, leaving membranous matter, and fibres not-anastomosing (the white element -of cellular tissue.) The addition of acetic acid causes the fibres to disappear, and without -showing nuclei.</p> - -<p>Portions of number one presented an appearance as if of the hair follicles, and there -were mingled with it cylindrical hairs, of an inch and a half in length, brownish in colour, -and quite fine. From these hairs, and from its position in the coffin, adipocire number -one probably came from the abdomen. The fat from this portion gave the same appearance -under the microscope, as specimen number two. The alcoholic solution of the fat evaporated -on the microscope slide, gave the appearance of stellated dendritic crystals, with -curved branches, resembling the so called margaric acid under the same circumstances.</p> - -<p>The whole mass of fat in the two specimens, seems to be entangled in a web of disintegrated -membrane, and fibrous tissue. I have never been able to detect any traces of -muscular fibre under the microscope; and Dr. Leidy, who was kind enough to examine -specimens with the microscope, communicated to me the same results. The smell of the -two specimens was peculiar; what might be called an adipocire smell; for I have observed -it in all specimens of adipocire that I have examined. This smell is indescribable, the -nearest approach to it being that of fæces, but it is much more disagreeable.</p> - -<p>The following melting points were observed from the original adipocire, melted per se in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</span> -watch glasses, and the fat taken up in capillary tubes. In these specimens, (<i>a</i>) was taken -from parts with <i>little</i>, and (<i>b</i>) from parts with <i>much</i> cellular tissue:</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="4">No. 1.</td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="4"> - <img src="images/brace100.jpg" alt="brace" /> -</td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> (<i>a</i>) </td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> - <img src="images/brace50l.jpg" alt="brace" /> -</td> -<td class="tdl"> fuses at 50°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">solidifies 50°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> (<i>b</i>)</td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> - <img src="images/brace50l.jpg" alt="brace" /></td> -<td class="tdl"> fuses at 50°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">fuses 43°—44°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="4">No. 2.</td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="4"> - <img src="images/brace100.jpg" alt="brace" /></td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> (<i>a</i>)</td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> - <img src="images/brace50l.jpg" alt="brace" /></td> -<td class="tdl"> fuses at 55°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">solidifies 50°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> (<i>b</i>)</td> -<td class="tdc" rowspan="2"> - <img src="images/brace50l.jpg" alt="brace" /></td> -<td class="tdl"> fuses at 55°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">solidifies 50°</td> -</tr></table> - -<p>They commenced to melt a little below and to solidify a little above these points, which -were taken for perfect fluidity or opacity. Generally in solidifying, the crystallization -commenced at one point, and spread gradually through the capillary tube.</p> - -<p>The density varied with different portions of one and two, from below 0.7487 to 1.0, -and was ascertained, by immersing specimens (freed from external air globules) in ether of -the above density, alcohol of density 0.8365, and distilled water. The ash, no doubt, -varied also; but the following determinations were made with the whitest portions of one -and two: viz.: those of the density of ether. No. 1, contained 0.573 per cent. of ash, -(1.135 gave 0.0065) which effervesced with acid, and contained principally, lime, with -traces of chlorine, sulphuric and phosphoric acid, also iron, potassa soda, and (doubtful) -magnesia. The melting point of this portion was 52°-53°. No. 2, gave 0.18 per cent. -of ash, (1.109 gave 0.002) which contained the same substances as number one. The -melting point of this fat was 53°-55°.</p> - -<p>The two specimens of adipocire were melted with about one and a half times their weight -of ordinary alcohol, filtered hot, washed a couple of times with hot alcohol, and pressed, the -residue being weighed. This gives an approximate per centage of the membranous and -fibrous matter, which is rather too low, owing to a little fat remaining in the residue and -filter. The specimens of adipocire were picked as far as practicable from dark pieces.</p> - -<p>No. 1, 360 grammes, gave nine of residue, or a per centage of</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Fat colouring matter and water,</td> -<td class="tdr">97.8</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Organic tissue,</td> -<td class="tdr">2.2</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">100.0</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>No. 2, 997 grammes adipocire, gave twenty-seven residue, or per cent.</p> - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Fat colouring matter and water,</td> -<td class="tdr">97.3</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Organic tissue,</td> -<td class="tdr">2.7</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">100.0</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</span></p> - -<p>The fats were then saponified with Potassa; No. 1 by Chevreul’s process, and No. 2 by -Heintz’s process with alcohol. The soaps were precipitated several times, by solution of -common salt; no ammonia nor cholesterine were detected during the process; a heavy, -flocculent soap fell during the melting, which was examined, and found to be a soap of -alumina, oxide of iron and magnesia; probably from impurities in the salt. No glycerine -was present (by direct experiment) in either of the specimens. An examination for volatile -fatty acids, gave negative results for number one, and a very slight trace in number -two of volatile fatty acids, acetic and butyric, and one or two minute floating oil drops, -most probably from the alcohol employed.</p> - -<p>The fats thus obtained, were very dark in colour, and when cooled, after being melted -in a capsule on water, solidified with a smooth, waxy surface, with the fibres of crystallization -vertical. At the point of crystallization, the expansion pushed up, and broke the -soft cake of fat in the centre. No. 1 weighed 237 and No. 2, 644 grammes.</p> - -<p>No. 1, (the melting point of which was 57.5°, the solidifying point 52°) was melted with -an equal weight of alcohol, and on cooling, filtered and pressed; a very dark liquid ran -through, a drop of which, evaporated on a glass slide, gave dendritic, stellate, polarizable -crystals. To the residue weighing 177 grammes, 100 grammes of alcohol were added, and -the fat which separated, together with some depositing from the last filtrate by standing, -were added to the fat of the previous operation; the fat which separated from this solution -of 177 grammes, melted at 59°-60°, and solidified at 53°-54°. The dark-coloured alcoholic -liquid, filtered from these fats, was saponified by an alcoholic solution of potassa; the -alcohol expelled by boiling with water, and after transferring to a retort, was boiled with -sulphuric acid. The distilled water, examined for volatile fatty acids, gave negative -results. The fat was very dark in colour, melted at 55°, and solidified at 50°, though it -was difficult to determine these points exactly, as the change exhibited itself very gradually. -A portion of this fat was converted into a potassa salt, and precipitated by chloride -of barium; the filtrate from which, treated with hydrochloric acid, gave a small quantity -of a yellow fat, not further examined.</p> - -<p>The baryta salts were treated by ether, and the residue by boiling alcohol. The -ethereal, alcoholic solutions, and the residue, were severally decomposed by hydrochloric -acid. The ethereal solution gave a small quantity of oleic acid, in very dark drops. The -alcoholic solution fat was also small in quantity, and dark. It fused at 61°-62°, and -solidified, as well as could be judged, at 45°. The residual fat, which was the largest in -quantity, yellow, and of a waxy surface, melted at 43°-46°, and solidified at 45°-40°.</p> - -<p>The purification of fat No. 2, was now undertaken, and experimented upon more particularly -than No. 1, since this specimen of adipocire conformed to the shape of part of -the human frame.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</span></p> - -<p>1<sup>o</sup>. An equal weight of alcohol was added, and the fat, which weighed 644 grammes, -was dissolved by heat; on cooling it was pressed, and as the filtrate deposited more fat on -standing, it was pressed again, and the fat added to the former. The dark-coloured filtrate -was bottled, and the fat melted. It was of smooth and waxy surface, and weighed 511 -grammes.</p> - -<p>2<sup>o</sup>. The fat from 1<sup>o</sup> was melted with 170 alcohol, and the same operation performed. -Residue weighed 327 grammes.</p> - -<p>3<sup>o</sup>. Added 124 alcohol to this fat. In this all the liquor was absorbed by the pressing -cloths; the fat weighed 335 grammes.</p> - -<p>4<sup>o</sup>. Added an equal weight of alcohol and melted; pressed after two days. The liquid -by this time, was light yellowish; the fatty crystals in white flakes or scales; the smaller -ones transparent under the microscope, and polarizable. A portion of the fat was melted, -and observed cooling under the microscope with polarized light; as the solidification -approached, a beautiful play of prismatic colours took place, and the drop shot into crystal -interlaced lamellæ. A drop melted with alcohol, and let cool, gave the peculiar dendritic -curved appearance of margaric acid.</p> - -<p>5<sup>o</sup>. The fat by this time weighed 300 grammes; it was melted with an equal weight of -alcohol, and pressed the following day. Residue, 253 grammes.</p> - -<p>6<sup>o</sup>. This was melted with 250 alcohol; the liquid from the press was very little less -coloured than the last; the residue weighed 227 grammes, and was brilliant white, with a -tinge of yellow; the fracture showed large crystals, and could not be distinguished from the -product of the stearic candle factories. When melted, it cooled with raised, uneven surface, -and was completely soluble in ether. When the ethereal solution was suffered to -separate spontaneously, the first fat which made its appearance melted at 60°, solidified -at 55°, and the fat extracted from the rest of the ether gave exactly the same points.</p> - -<p>The following are the melting points yielded by the fatty residues of the foregoing alcoholic -crystallizations:</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> - -<tr> -<th class="tdc">Fat </th> -<th class="tdc">melts</th> -<th class="tdc">solidifies</th> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">2<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">58°</td> -<td class="tdl">53°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">3<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">58°</td> -<td class="tdl">53° a 52°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">4<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">58°</td> -<td class="tdl">53° a 52°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">5<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">58° a 58.5°</td> -<td class="tdl">53°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">6<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">60°</td> -<td class="tdl">55° a 54°</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>The examination of the liquids separated from the above crystallizations, was now taken -up. Their colour was from a very deep reddish brown (No. 1<sup>o</sup>) down to light yellow, and -nearly colourless (No. 6<sup>o</sup>.) In 1<sup>o</sup>, 2<sup>o</sup>, and 5<sup>o</sup>, crystals had deposited by standing, and as -2<sup>o</sup> was not corked like the rest, the deposit here was abundant; it was re-melted with -addition of as much alcohol as had evaporated, and was suffered to stand for several days<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</span> -longer, when a drusy crystalline deposit made its appearance. The following are the melting -points for these two precipitates:</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<th class="tdc">Precipitate in</th> -<th class="tdc">melts</th> -<th class="tdc">solidifies</th> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="tdl">1<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">62°-63°</td> -<td class="tdl">44°5-40°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">5<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">51°-56°</td> -<td class="tdl">44°5-43°</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>The fat deposited in 2<sup>o</sup> melted at 58°, and solidified at 52°, and the fat separated from -the <i>liquid</i> of this bottle, melted at 59°5, solidified at 53°, but continued translucent down -to 33°. After the above melting points, 1<sup>o</sup> and 5<sup>o</sup> were observed, the same fat was raised -slowly to the melting points, and then kept for a considerable time in the thermostat, at -100°, the points were again determined, and found to be the same.</p> - -<p>The liquids separated from the fats 1<sup>o</sup>-6<sup>o</sup>, gave the following results:</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<th class="tdc">The fat from Liquid</th> -<th class="tdc">melts</th> -<th class="tdc">solidifies</th> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"> 1<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">36°-46°</td> -<td class="tdl">41°-?</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">2<sup>o</sup> ;</td> -<td class="tdl">39°-41°</td> -<td class="tdl">37°-35°5</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"> 4<sup>o</sup><a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></td> -<td class="tdl">59°-62°</td> -<td class="tdl">40°5-35°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">5<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">62°-66°</td> -<td class="tdl">58°-53°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"> 6<sup>o</sup></td> -<td class="tdl">53°-56°</td> -<td class="tdl">41°-?</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>The melting point of liquid 2<sup>o</sup>, does not accord with that above stated, but I note the -experiments as they were observed, merely mentioning that I observed carefully, and am -not conscious of having made an error. The above points seem vague, but it was impossible -to fix a point definitely, as a cloudiness persisted up to the highest degree stated, so -I prefer to give the limits of certainty. In 1<sup>o</sup> and 6<sup>o</sup> the solidifying points, 41°, were -taken when the liquid in the capillary tubes seemed to become solid, but it remained -translucent for a long time below this point, and 6<sup>o</sup> only became opaque (and that gradually) -when suffered to stand in the air.</p> - -<p>We are reminded here of Duffy’s observations upon certain isomeric transformations of -the fats, (Quar. Jour. Ch. Sec. V. 197.) He noticed that stearine heated 1° above its point -of solidification, became transparent, but soon after resumed its opacity; and Heintz made -a similar observation. Duffy attributes this to an isomeric transformation of the fat by -the heat; but it seems to me simpler until an isomerism be more distinctly proven, to assume -a mixture of fats, which unite to form a definite compound under the circumstances, -and which has the above mentioned property.<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> Heintz’s researches on the fats should -make us look with suspicion upon fats as pure, that are only purified by crystallization.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</span></p> - -<p>Duffy’s remarks were made upon the glycerine compounds of the fatty acids; it appears -from the above examination of the liquids 1<sup>o</sup> and 6<sup>o</sup>, as if something similar took place -with the fatty acids themselves, although, with one or two exceptions, in other determinations -of melting points noted in this article, I have not observed the same phenomenon of -transparency.</p> - -<p>A few experiments were now made with the alcoholic liquid 6<sup>o</sup>. A concentrated alcoholic -solution of acetate of magnesia added to this liquid, produced no precipitate, but -micaceous crystalline scales fell on adding acetic acid, and upon adding more acetic acid, -and heating, besides these crystals, an oil floated on the surface, which solidified on cooling, -and which behaved like a fat, and gave the melting point of palmitic acid, viz.: 62° -(solidifies gradually from 47° to 39°.) The crystals gave a small quantity of ash when -burned on platina foil, and on being decomposed by hydrochloric acid, gave a fat with the -melting point of stearic acid 72°-73°, and solidifying at 60°-55°. The mother liquid contained -too little fat to experiment upon. To another portion of the liquid 6<sup>o</sup>, alcoholic -acetate of magnesia was added without addition of acetic acid, and the solution evaporated -in a retort. The first crystals which appeared contained a fat which fused at 65°-68.5°, -and solidified at 62°-58°.</p> - -<p>The solid crystalline fat No. 6 which was removed from the liquid 6<sup>o</sup>, and which was -the most highly purified result from the crystallization of this specimen of adipocire, was -now examined more particularly; an alcoholic solution was made upon which to try the -different experiments. Fifteen grammes of the fat required 300 of alcohol of 93 per cent. -to keep it in solution; but before having added so much alcohol, on standing for a short -time 0.656 grammes of pearly crystalline scales fell, which had a melting point of 62.5°, -and solidified at 55.5°. The fat of the liquid after these crystals had fallen, when precipitated -by water, melted at 58°-61°, and solidified at 55.5°: these crystals, recrystallized -from alcohol, melted at 62.5°, and solidified at 58°-57°; these were dissolved a third time, -in twenty times their weight of 93 per cent. alcohol, which deposited, on standing, less -than a milligramme of tufted crystals of the form of palmitic acid, of which it had the -melting point 62°: more alcohol was added to the solution, and it was divided by fractional -precipitation with acetate of magnesia and the addition of a little ammonia with heat, into -two portions, weighing 0.256 and 0.164 grammes, and they had the same melting point. -This fat appears, therefore, to be palmitic acid, one of the acids into which Heintz divided -margaric acid. The crystals deposited from alcohol do not at all resemble those of margaric -acid, but under the microscope are lamellar. These two fats were converted respectively, -by an excess of nitrate of silver, into silver salts, 0·24725 gave 0·074 Ag. = 29·93 -per cent. and 0·14275 gave 0·04175 Ag. = 29·25 per cent., which corresponds to the percentage -of silver in the palmitate of this base.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</span></p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">C<sub>32</sub></td> -<td class="tdr">192.00</td> -<td class="tdc">  By calculation.</td> -<td class="tdc">  Mean of two Exper.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">H<sub>31</sub></td> -<td class="tdr">31.00</td> -<td colspan="2"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">O<sub>4</sub></td> -<td class="tdr">32.00</td> -<td colspan="2"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Ag.</td> -<td class="tdr">107.97</td> -<td class="tdc">29.7</td> -<td class="tdc">29.5</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">362.97</td> -<td colspan="2"></td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>There is no doubt, therefore, of the presence of palmitic acid in the fat of human adipocire. -The second crop of crystals which fell from the mother liquid of those just examined, -contained a fat melting at 62°, in all probability palmitic acid also. A determination -of the silver of the salt of this fat was lost in the following curious manner: The silver -salt was in lumps, as it had dried on the filter, and after it had stood for a short time at -100 in a watch glass, thinking to facilitate the escape of water, by pulverizing it in an -agate-mortar, it became so exceedingly electric, that of the whole quantity of silver salt -from 0.651 grammes of fat, I was not able to collect the smallest portion for analysis; -whether the powder was attempted to be removed by steel, platinum, glass, a feather, or -paper, on the first touch it flew into the air, and alighted upon the table: I have often -noticed this behaviour in organic silver salts, and perhaps it would be worth while to try -whether one of them could not favourably replace the amalgam on the cushion of the electrical -machine.</p> - -<p>The following experiments were made upon the alcoholic solution of the fats, from which -the above portions of palmitic acid were separated. Enough alcohol was added to this -solution to prevent any further deposit by standing, for which, as was before stated, 300 -alcohol were required for 15 fat. Its percentage of fat was determined by evaporating the -alcohol from a known quantity, and weighing the residue; the melting point of this fat -was 60.5° to 61°. This melting point was again determined after saponification, to ascertain -whether a fatty ether might not have been formed, and was found to be the same. -The alcoholic solution of acetate of magnesia was also titled so that the necessary quantity -might be added to the fat solution by measurement: the fat under consideration should be, -by Heintz’s experiment, a mixture of stearic and the so called margaric acids, together with -impurities.</p> - -<p>Before proceeding to the fractional precipitation by acetate of magnesia, the alcoholic -fatty solution was treated with an excess of acetate of magnesia, and an excess of acetic -acid (aided by a little warmth) added; the resulting liquid was then evaporated over -sulphuric acid (removing the crystals as they formed) in order to ascertain what effect -this treatment would have upon the melting points. On cooling, a small quantity of a -powdery precipitate fell, and after standing for a couple of hours over sulphuric acid, the -liquid crystallized rather suddenly, to plates or scales, the melting point of which, after -treatment with acid, gave 62°; recrystallized from hot alcohol it melted at 62.5°-63°.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</span></p> - -<p>[Transcribers Note: Missing text]precipitate the whole, was added; to the filtrate an excess of the magnesia solution was -added, and the fat remaining in the filtrate from this precipitation was separated, as was -also that of the other two precipitates. The following results and melting points are in -their order as determined:</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> - -<td class="tdl">(<i>a</i>)</td> -<td class="tdr"> 0·351</td> -<td class="tdc"> melts</td> -<td class="tdr"> 61°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">(<i>b</i>)</td> -<td class="tdr"> 0·527</td> -<td class="tdc"> melts</td> -<td class="tdr"> 61°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">(<i>c</i>)</td> -<td class="tdr"> 0·085</td> -<td class="tdc"> melts</td> -<td class="tdr"> 53°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr">loss</td> -<td class="tdr"> 0·173</td> -<td colspan="2"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">1.136</td> -<td class="tdl" colspan="2"> grammes.</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>(<i>a</i>) and (<i>b</i>) were united, dissolved in alcohol, enough alcoholic solution of acetate of magnesia -to precipitate the half added, and after standing for a couple of days, the precipitate -was filtered off, and ammonia added to alkaline reaction to the filtrate. The first magnesia -salt was translucent, and fused by heat to a transparent liquid, which by more heat gradually -grew darker, finally black, and left a residue of magnesia. The melting point of -the fat of this substance was as before, 61°.</p> - -<p>The second magnesia salt was white and amorphous; it presented the same relations to -heat as the first, and contained a fat of the same melting point, 61°. These fats were both -brilliant white, lamellar, and of rough surface. The first magnesia salt contained a per -centage of 7·59 MgO (0·25025 gave 0·019) and the second contained about double the per -centage of magnesia, viz.: 14·91; for 0·28 salt gave 0·04175 magnesia by incineration.</p> - -<p>Neutral palmitate of magnesia C<sub>32</sub>, H<sub>31</sub>, O<sub>3</sub> MgO gives by calculation 7·6 per cent. magnesia, -and basic palmitate C<sub>32</sub>, H<sub>31</sub>, O<sub>3</sub> 2 MgO gives 14·15 magnesia, which approaches the -nearest to the magnesia salt of the above fatty acids.</p> - -<p>The experiments of fractional precipitation of the normal solution of fat 6°, were conducted -in the same manner, and with the following results, in which (<i>c</i>) and (<i>d</i>) represent -the fatty acids of the two magnesia salts, and (<i>e</i>) that of the portion not precipitated by -an excess of acetate of magnesia:</p> - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">(<i>c</i>)</td> -<td class="tdr">0·474</td> -<td class="tdc">melt pt.</td> -<td class="tdr">59.5°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">(<i>d</i>)</td> -<td class="tdr">0·440</td> -<td class="tdc">melt pt.</td> -<td class="tdr">61.5°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">(<i>e</i>)</td> -<td class="tdr">0·356</td> -<td class="tdc">melt pt.</td> -<td class="tdr">58.5°</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">loss during the ex.</td> -<td class="tdr">0·010</td> -<td colspan="2"></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl"></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">1·280</td> -<td class="tdl" colspan="2">grammes of fat.</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>The magnesia salts from which the fats (<i>c</i>) and (<i>d</i>) were separated, gave as follows:—(<i>c</i>) -0·227 gave 0·01675 = 7·38 per cent. magnesia; and (<i>d</i>) 0·1735 gave 0·012 = 6·92 -magnesia. On comparing the melting points of these fats, and making allowance for want -of a more perfect separation from impurities, there can be little doubt that they are neutral -palmitates of magnesia, as was before ascertained. According to Heintz (Zoochemie,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</span> -p. 1072,) stearic acid is C<sub>36</sub>, H<sub>36</sub>, O<sub>4</sub>, and the magnesia salt contains by calculation, 6·9 per -cent. of that base. The foregoing experiments upon the two specimens of human adipocire -were intended preliminary to a more thorough research into their nature, by Heintz’s -method; but this process requires such a large quantity of substance in order to effect the -separation of small quantities of whatever new acid might be present, and the amount of -material dwindled so in the many necessary crystallizations from alcohol to separate the -dark-coloured impurities, and especially, since the determinations and reactions already -made, were so confirmatory of what has lately been done in working upon the solid fatty -acids, I preferred placing aside the substances thus obtained for a future examination, -when the separation of fatty acids shall have become more simplified, as it must be before -long.</p> - -<p>(<i>c</i>) <i>Fossil adipocire of Bison Americanus obtained from a metacarpal bone from Big Bone -Lick, by Dr. Leidy.</i>—It was a white powder, and in pulverizable lumps; amorphous -under the microscope; with a talcose feel, and of density a little below 0·8365, since it -barely swims upon alcohol of that strength, while it sinks in absolute alcohol. Water will -not wet it; with the addition of hydrochloric acid and heat, it is separated without effervescence, -into a mineral solution, and into an oil which solidifies on cooling to a nearly -white fat, a small portion of which melted on a glass slide solidifies to a confusedly crystalline -mass; a small quantity treated in the same way with absolute alcohol, crystallizes -in plumose and dendritic crystals, like margaric acid. A portion of the adipocire boiled -with absolute alcohol, yields but a minute quantity to the solvent, and that not of a fatty -nature, showing that the fatty acid is wholly saponified with an earthy base. The whole -quantity of adipocire weighed 0·986 grammes. 0·16325 heated in a platinum crucible, -fuses, burning with a smoky flame and with the smell of fatty acid, but no acroleine, -leaving 0·0165 or 10·1 per cent. of a perfectly white ash, which hydrochloric acid almost -perfectly dissolves without effervescence, and which consists almost entirely of lime, with -a few minute specks of oxide of iron (seen during the action of the hydrochloric acid,) and -a couple of small grains of sand: there is a very small trace of phosphoric acid present. -The greater portion of the adipocire, 0·716 grammes, was decomposed by hydrochloric acid -and water, by the aid of heat: the decomposition took place with a strong smell of rancid -tallow, and the fundamental smell observed in all adipocire was emitted. It was melted -and washed several times, at first with acidulated and finally with pure water. The water -from the washing, when evaporated, gave a certain quantity of brownish yellow colouring -matter. The fat was melted in the capsule in which the precipitation took place, and -weighed 0·618 or 86·31 per cent. of the adipocire; when melted, a dark flocculent humus-like -precipitate was seen; the fat itself was yellowish, and of a flat, waxy (here and there -warty) surface. It melted at 51°.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</span></p> - -<p>The adipocire therefore appears to be a lime soap of one of the fatty acids, with a trace -of phosphate of lime and with flocculent organic matter, or in per centage approximately,</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Fatty acids and a little colouring matter,</td> -<td class="tdr">86·31</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Lime and a trace of phosphate,</td> -<td class="tdr">10·10</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Flocculent organic matter,</td> -<td class="tdr">3·59</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">100.00</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>If the organic matter be neglected and the per centage then calculated, we will have,</p> - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Fatty acids,</td> -<td class="tdr">89·5</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Lime,</td> -<td class="tdr">10·5</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdr"></td> -<td class="tdr_bt">100·0</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<p>Now Stearate, Margarate and Palmitate of Lime, respectively contain a per centage of -9·3-9·7—10·2, of lime, so it is reasonable to suppose (as there is nothing in its reaction -contrary, but everything favourable to this supposition) that the fossil adipocire is a neutral -lime soap of the usual fatty acids of tallow.</p> - - -<p class="center"><i>Experiments upon the decomposition of muscular fibre (bullock’s heart) with water, with a view -to the formation of adipocire.</i></p> - -<p>A portion of raw, and one of boiled muscular fibre from bullock’s heart, were on March -8th, 1854, placed with water upon a microscope slide, and covered with thin glass, which -was closed with sealing wax around the edge to prevent evaporation. This was repeatedly -observed during the year, and the attention was directed at times to particular fibres -the better to watch any change. At the commencement of the experiment, the cross-markings -of the fibre were distinct and the fibre itself was of a delicate rose-colour. I find in -my notes of April 8th, and May 11th, that no change presented itself in either the raw or -in the boiled fibre, except that the cross-markings were more distinct. On December 6th, -1854, but very little change was noticed, (the raw fibre was whiter,) the cross-markings in -both were more distinct than ever; by high powers an amorphous precipitate was discovered -in the neighbourhood of some of the fibres—about one third of the water had evaporated.</p> - -<p><i>A.</i> On November 14th, 1853, 100 grammes of cheese were placed in a loosely stoppered -bottle, and covered with distilled water, a portion of the same cheese being reserved for -comparison: the water was renewed as it evaporated.</p> - -<p><i>Ba.</i> On November 19th, 1853, one half of a bullock’s heart, weighing 673 grammes, was -placed, covered with Schuylkill water, in a wide-mouthed stoppered bottle.</p> - -<p><i>Bb.</i> The remaining half of the heart, weighing 816 grammes, was covered with mineral -water with lemon syrup. It was intended to use plain mineral water in this experiment, -that is, Schuylkill water saturated with carbonic acid, but the former was sent by a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</span> -mistake, which was not discovered until too late. In these cases the fat was partially -removed from the heart, but not to any great extent.</p> - -<p><i>C.</i> Boiled six eggs, removed the shells from two, which weighed then 88 grammes; ran -pin-holes to the centre in two, which weighed 97 grammes, and left the shells upon the -remaining two, which weighed 96 grammes; these were together placed in a glass-stoppered -bottle, and covered with water. These different substances did not delay to decompose -and give out offensive odours, and the eggs especially maintained their proverbial -character in this respect; in fact, on the approach of the cholera season I was obliged to -place the bottle of eggs on a plate, cover it with a large inverted beaker glass, and heap -the rim of the beaker with hypochlorite of lime. With regard to the heart, the contents -of the bottle containing mineral water, as might be expected, preserved their lively red -colour for a longer time than in the case of the bottles containing river water.</p> - -<p>The appearance of these bottles, on December 13th, 1854, was as follows:—</p> - -<p>The cheese <i>A</i> was converted into a white, thick, grumous mass, lighter than water, and -which when diluted with a little water, presented the appearance of pus; under the microscope -with moderate power, angular transparent fragments constituted the principal part, -and among these, polarized light showed many broken blade-shaped crystals without a play -of colours; a few globules of oil were also seen. The material <i>A</i> was removed to a glass-stoppered -bottle, more water added, and was set aside. A portion of the cheese used in -this experiment had been preserved in paper; it was found hard, and on the surface oily. -It was placed aside in a cork-stoppered bottle.</p> - -<p><i>B.</i> The bullock’s heart had been so divided, that each half contained an auricle and ventricle, -which were placed in the bottles, (<i>a</i>) with water, (<i>b</i>) with carbonic acid water. -The appearance of the contents of these bottles at present is similar, though (<i>a</i>) seems -to be more disintegrated. In both of these, the cavities and valves of the heart maintain, -in a measure, their form, and the chordæ tendineæ are in perfect preservation: the -serous covering of the heart is consistent; and in (<i>b</i>) it is, in parts, quite black from -sulphuret of iron. The fluid in both bottles reacts strongly alkaline; when the mass of -the heart is cut open, the muscular fibre appears of a dirty, yellowish-red colour, and -when examined under the microscope, shows the fibre, but without any of the cross-markings -in (<i>b</i>). In (<i>a</i>), which was more disintegrated, by the addition of water and a -power of 700 diameters, the fibre could be seen broken in small portions, and giving evident -traces of both longitudinal and cross-breaking up of the sarcous substance. The fibres -of (<i>a</i>), treated with hot and cold alcohol evinced no change; with hot acetic acid they -shrunk in dimensions. The weight of (<i>a</i>) dripping with liquid was 330 grammes, that of -(<i>b</i>) 275 grammes.</p> - -<p><i>C.</i> The Eggs.—The water was strongly alkaline; the shelled eggs were seen in broken,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</span> -yellowish-white lumps, and a thick deposit at the bottom of the bottle, gave no evidence -of crystallization under the microscope with polarized light. The liquid from the eggs -and from the two heart experiments emitted rather a disagreeable odour, which was -mingled with an aldehyde smell.</p> - -<p>As decomposition had not advanced to its full extent in these bottles, I preferred setting -them aside for a future research, when both the solid and the liquid contents will be -examined. Braconnot’s<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">[8]</a> analysis of bullock’s heart is as follows:—</p> - - -<table class="autotable"> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Water,</td> -<td class="tdr">77·03</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Fibrine, cellular tissue, nerves, vessels,</td> -<td class="tdr">17·18</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Albumen and colouring matter of the blood,</td> -<td class="tdr">2·70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Alcoholic extract and salts,</td> -<td class="tdr">1·94</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="tdl">Aqueous extract and salts,</td> -<td class="tdr">1·15</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td></td><td class="tdr_bt">100.00</td> -</tr> -</table> - - -<h2>ARTIFICIAL FORMATION OF ADIPOCIRE.</h2> - -<p>On December 8th, 1853, a bullock’s heart weighing 1240 grammes, without removing -its fat, was buried in sand in an inverted tubulated receiver held in a retort stand, and so -placed against the glass that a portion of it could be seen: a reservoir of water was placed -above the receiver, and this water was suffered to fall, drop by drop, upon the sand by -means of a syphon of lamp-wick. The water was removed when necessary, and the -changes appearing in the heart observed. These changes were the same as in the case of -the bottled experiments; it began soon to deepen in colour, and on May 11th, 1854, was -quite dark, while the liquid falling from the receiver contained a black amorphous precipitate, -which is probably, from Liebig’s observation of a similar case, sulphuret of iron. A -deep zone of green vegetable parasitic matter was visible around the inside of the receiver, -commencing within half of an inch above the position of the heart where it was deepest -in colour, and thence diminishing as it approached the surface of the sand. On June 7th, -the heart was removed and dissected for the purpose of viewing the extent of the decomposition: -it maintained its original form, but was larger; the separation of the chambers -was apparent; the valves present and the chordæ tendineæ in a perfect state; the greater -part of the fleshy walls of the heart was pinkish, soft, of the consistence of lard, of putrid -smell, and under the microscope (700 D,) presented an amorphous mass, mingled with -fragments of crossed muscular fibre. It was not in as advanced a stage of decomposition -as the bottled hearts of December 13th, 1854. The fat which was purposely left around -the coronary vessels, was hard, white, and of an appearance approaching that of adipocire. -The heart was returned to the vessel and the experiment continued. On my return to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</span> -the city, after an absence in the summer time, I found that the water reservoir and lamp -wick had fulfilled their duty, for the sand was still moist. On December 9th, 1854, the -experiment was concluded, and the heart removed from the sand and washed. It was in -two pieces, and weighed, when still wet, 219 grammes: after drying in the air for five days -it weighed 107 grammes, or 8·6 per cent. of the original weight, and was still moist. This -was principally the fat from around the coronary vessels, the impressions of which were on -it; the tendinous chords of the valves were perfect, and the valves themselves were indicated. -The smell was decidedly tallowish, with the strong smell I have described as adipocire -smell, and with the smell of earth worms; all of these odours were plain, and suggested -themselves at once to the mind. The fat was hard, and resembled exactly adipocire; it -presented a different appearance in two different places: one portion was hard and compact, -in some parts denser, in others lighter than water, and appeared granular under the -microscope, like the specimens of adipocire already described: the other portion was of a -more buttery nature, and of about the density 0·8365. Neither of these specimens gave -any traces of fat globules with the microscope, but contained aggregations of white angular -fatty matter, of nearly the same size, and about one fourth the diameter of fat globules. -With ether the fat disappeared, and left shrunken membranous matter, which after the -evaporation of the ether and treatment with acetic acid, became, for the most part, transparent. -A comparative experiment with beef fat gave similar results, and I am inclined -to think that the most of this matter proceeds from the fat cells,<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">[9]</a> and their accompanying -cellular tissue.</p> - -<p>On cutting through the thickest portion of this adipocire, the fat was of a pure white -colour, and could not be distinguished from adipocire; in some portions it was nearly an -inch in thickness, and at first sight certainly gave the impression that the fleshy walls of -the heart were converted into fat; but on closer inspection, this seemed to me improbable. -The lumps of adipocire were thickest at the top of the heart, and just where were the -lumps of fat in which the coronary vessels were imbedded; moreover, it was the most like -adipocire in the centre of those very portions of fat. I obtained the approximate density -of the adipocire of this part, by diluting alcohol with water, until the adipocire just swam -half way between the surface and the bottom of the liquid, and found it to be 0·8902, -which is by experiment lower than that of ox fat. Indeed, as would a priori seem probable, -the fat, by the gases evolved during the putrefaction of the proteine bodies, is rendered -more porous, and of a lower specific gravity, which deceives the eye, and makes the mass -of fat to appear greater than it really is. An ash determination of this part of the adipocire -performed upon 1·471 grammes, yielded 0·0015, equal to 0·102 per cent. of a reddish -ash, containing iron. No acroleine was observed during this experiment, and no other<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</span> -than the characteristic adipocire smell, which proves the absence of glycerine, and that the -fatty acids are uncombined. Ox fat (2·069) gave (0·001, or) a per centage of 0·048 white -ash. The iron of the former proceeds probably from the hæmatine in the heart. These -ashes are too small in quantity, to arrive at any satisfactory result in ascertaining the -nature of their component parts; they appeared by a few tests to contain principally lime, -and soda and potash were detected by Smith’s test. The melting point of the above portion -of adipocire was about 47°, but at 52° the fat still contained a faint precipitate.</p> - -<p>The adipocire, on February 3d, 1855, until which time it had been kept in a loosely -stoppered bottle, weighed 97 grammes, which is 7·8 per cent. of the original heart. From -91 grammes the fat was separated by boiling it with 317 alcohol, filtering hot, pressing -powerfully, and weighing the residue; the latter was bulky, and weighed 40·1, corresponding -to 44 per cent. of the <i>adipocire</i>, which contains, consequently, only 66 per cent. -of fat. If the per centage of fat be calculated from the original weight of the <i>heart</i>, it -amounts to only 4·4, which is undoubtedly less than was originally in the heart, so that, -so far from there being a gain of fat in the formation of the adipocire, there was actually -a loss, which accords with the bottle experiments. The alcoholic solution deposited 16·2 -grammes of a rather dark fat, which was recrystallized from 368 grammes of alcohol, and -yielded 11 grammes of a lighter fat. I was desirous of retaining a greater portion of this fat -for future experiments, and without proceeding to purify it further, obtained its equivalent. -It melted between 69°-70°, did not crystallize plainly from alcohol, with which it behaved -like stearic acid: a neutral silver salt, deepened in colour considerably when dried at 100°, -and gave only 20·59 and 20·68 per cent. of silver. As decomposition had evidently taken -place in this salt, the baryta compound was prepared by adding acetate of baryta to the -alcoholic solution. The baryta was determined both as carbonate and by converting into -sulphate; there was no difference in the two results; the baryta of the carbonate was 0·1701, -and that of the sulphate was 0·1700, which corresponds to a per centage of 19·65—stearic -acid (Heintz) requires 21·76 per cent., and palmitic acid 23·62 per cent. of baryta for the -neutral salts. I have no doubt that a further purification will show this to be stearic acid, -as might be expected from the original fat of the heart.</p> - -<p>I am not desirous of claiming for these experiments a greater importance than they -deserve, nor any but that the experiments were carefully performed: they were extended -over the greater part of a year, during which my attention has been particularly directed -to this subject. When the investigation was commenced, I was inclined to the belief that -adipocire was a result of the decomposition of the blood-forming substances, and this, principally, -from the experiments of Blondeau (see first part of this article) which I have not -seen refuted, and partly from the testimony of those who have had opportunities of -observing the formation of adipocire, and who have stated that fleshy parts of the body<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</span> -are wholly converted into it. The formation of the lower terms of the series of fatty acids -from proteine bodies forbids maintaining that this is impossible; but from what I have -seen, and on weighing the evidence of what I have read, my impression is, that adipocire -proceeds from the original fat of the body.</p> - -<p>It appears to follow from the foregoing experiments, that the higher members of the -series of fatty acids do not result from the putrefaction of proteine compounds; at least from -such putrefaction as is accompanied by exclusion of air. Flesh fibrine with restriction of -air does not putrefy as rapidly as would be supposed, according to the experiment, where -a portion was sealed with water on a microscope slide; the air here was not absolutely -excluded, since a partial evaporation of the water took place. It is true that the amount -of water in this experiment was small, in proportion to the fibrine, and it appears that -much water is necessary to such decomposition, and which supports Liebig’s theory of the -motion of the molecules. In the experiments of the bottles and of the sand, the decomposition -was <i>seen to take place</i> gradually; the sarcous element of the flesh fibrine separated -into discs, and these were by degrees resolved into their simpler compounds, which either -remained as liquids or gases in solution in the bottles, or were carried off by the droppings -in the sand experiment. The original fat of the body, according to circumstances, either -partakes of this decomposition, or else, losing its glycerine and most of its oleic acid, becomes -gradually converted into adipocire. In some bodies in the grave yards the fat is totally -gone, while in others large quantities of adipocire are formed. It is suggestive that in all -cases where adipocire has been found, the corpse was of a large and fat person, and this -abundance of fat resists an ultimate decomposition. Analyses by Beetz of candles which -had remained for a hundred years in a mine, prove that the only alteration undergone by -fats when alone, is destruction of their oleine and glycerine. In the bottles of my experiments -no adipocire was formed, although the fat of the coronary vessels was only partially -removed; this may be accounted for on the ground that the fat, which was small in quantity, -was here kept in close contact with the decomposing fibrine, and suffered with it -decomposition, whereas in the sand experiment, this could only take place to a less degree. -In grave yards, if the proportion of flesh to fat be large, and especially if the ground be of -such a nature as to prevent the decomposed matter being carried off, as by draining, -adipocire cannot be formed, but the fat undergoes full decomposition.</p> - -<p>The fact that in adipocire from different animals, the same substances are found accompanying -the original fat of the animal, as the goat-like or mutton smell in sheep, and the -tallow smell of the fossil adipocire, is suggestive, and should shift the burden of experimental -proof upon those who maintain the formation of this substance from fibrine. The -microscopic experiments militate against the transformation from fibrine. Those that -believe in this change think to have proof from the shape, as it were, of certain muscles<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</span> -transformed into fat; but fibrine does not require to lose much substance in the shape of -ammonia, &c., for this transformation, and there would not be, therefore, a great disturbance -in the shape of the fibres of muscle; at any rate, it would be reasonable to expect, -that with the microscope, traces of an arrangement of the fatty particles into fibres or -rows would here and there be seen, but this is not the case, and the appearance is that of -fat particles of equal size among themselves, and of a diameter one-fourth that of the original -fat globules, and indeed presenting all the appearances to be expected from a mass of -fat undergoing alteration from the decomposition of its oleine and glycerine; and finally -in the experiment where adipocire was artificially formed, no gain of fat was observed, -but a loss of what was purposely left upon the specimen under examination.</p> - -<p>I shall delay an examination of the products in my hands, until the separation of the -fatty acids is improved. It would be easy enough with the present methods to isolate -the two principal constituents of the fatty acids from the material in hand; but small -quantities of new products would inevitably escape observation.</p> - -<p>The <i>desiderata</i> in working the fatty acids at present, are, First, separation of the oleic -acid, without too much loss of substance.</p> - -<p>Second, a less circuitous method of separating the fatty acids than by Heintz’s method, -which renders difficult the isolation of small quantities of a different acid, as shown by his -mistake of anthropic acid.</p> - -<p>It is probable that a crystallization of salts (especially with a base of a high equivalent) -would effect this purpose, for in crystallization, other compounds and impurities are concentrated -in the mother liquids, while in fractional precipitation, in the present case, an infinite -subdivision seems to take place, requiring many steps to accomplish a sufficient -purification; and brilliant as Heintz’s results are, considerable labour was required to arrive -at them. Heintz’s process of partial precipitation was founded upon the method of fractional -distillation, proposed by Liebig for the separation of the lower members of the series -of fatty acids; in the latter case presence of an alkaline carbonate, in quantity insufficient -to saturate the mixed acids, alters their volatility, while in the former, presence of a salt in -insufficient quantity for perfect decomposition changes the relations of <i>solubility</i> of the salt -formed, and it does not necessarily follow that the chemical affinity, active in both cases, -will afford as <i>expeditious</i> a method in cases of solubility as in those of volatility.</p> - - -<div class="footnotes"><h3>FOOTNOTES:</h3> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="label">[1]</a> Liebig thinks this probable. Ch. Briefe.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="label">[2]</a> The degrees of thermometer in this article are centigrade, and the weights grammes.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="label">[3]</a> Lehmann, Lehrbuch.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="label">[4]</a> Lehrbuch, III. p. 187.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="label">[5]</a> Lehmann.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="label">[6]</a> The liquid from No. 3 was all absorbed by the pressing cloths, and not collected.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="label">[7]</a> Since the above was written, I have received the Journal für Pract. Chemic., Heft III. Band LXIII. in which -some late results by Heintz on this point are communicated. He artificially prepared chemically pure stearine -from the acid and glycerine, by Berthelot’s process, and found that it had two melting points, first at 55°, then -solidifying and melting again when the heat reached 71.6°.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="label">[8]</a> Ann. de Ch. & de Ph., xvii. p. 390.</p> - -</div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="label">[9]</a> See Kolliker, Mic. Anat., II. 1st Part, page 16.</p> - -</div> -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin-top:4em'>*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ON ADIPOCIRE, AND ITS FORMATION ***</div> -<div style='text-align:left'> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will -be renamed. -</div> - -<div style='display:block; margin:1em 0'> -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part -of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project -Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ -concept and trademark. 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