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ANI

AN I

( 72 )

travcrfes a primitive rock, and is accompaniedbp minute cvyftals of quartz and felfpar. a

ANIMAL MAT TER. The anticnt divifionof terreftrial bodies into animal, vegetable, andmineral, applies with much more propriety tonatural hiltory than to chemiflry : in the formerfcience it furniflies a liable and ufeful balls forclaffification; in the latter it is at belt am-biguous, and liable to millead.

Several of the molt important chemical ele-ments are found fometimes in different, fome-times in the fame combinations, in all the threekingdoms of nature, and therefore cannot withpropriety be claffified under any individual.

However, it is not unimportant to diltinguilh,as far as may readily be done, the proximatecondiments of each natural clafs, and morefrequent combinations which are met with bythe chemilt.

We may alfo obferve here that almoll all thedifcoveries relating to the chemidry of animalbodies are due to modern philofophers, andtake their date from the period at which theanalyfis of gafeous bodies began to affume aregular fcientific form. Many curious and va-luable experiments are indeed to be met withbefore that period, and feveral interefting fub-ftances, fuch as phofphorus, pruffic acid, am-monia, &c. were known to poffefs an animalorigin; but the real nature of thefe bodies, themode of their exidence and their combinations,were yet undifcovered. An infinite labour yetremains in this department of chemidry, andthe refearch is the more difficult as it demandsthe affidance of extenfive knowledge in anatomy,phyfiology, and in the ItruCture and the func-tions of animals; and as all the poffible opera-tions of the chemid, in his laboratory, appearto bear little if any analogy with thofe thatoccur in organized living bodies.

The prefent date of animal chemidry includesthe analyfis which has been made of the variousanimal folids and fluids; the chemico-phyfio-logical enquiries which have been indituted con-cerning the living functions; the changes pro-duced by difeafe; thofe which take place afterdeath; and feveral mifcellaneous faffs relatingto the ufe of certain parts of animals in the arts,in medicine, &c.

Scarcely any arrangement will ufefully includeall the condituent parts of animal bodies, as inchemical properties they pafs into each other byinfenfible gradations, and by apparently flightdifferences in the proportions of their elements.Still Iefs will any arrangement, fatisfaftory to• Hauy traite de Min. vol. iii. p. 129.

the chemid, anfwer the purpofes of phyfiology,or coincide with the distribution and mutualconnexion of the animal functions. We ffiallcontent ourfelves with enumerating the prin-cipal parts of animals, in the order which ap-pears the mod natural, and indicating tlie headsunder which their chemical properties will bedefcribed.

The principal elementary folids of the bodyare the following ; mufcle or Jlejh, in which re-fides the power of motion, voluntary or involun-tary, and in chemical properties differing fromany other organ. Cellular membrane or web,(the tela cellulofa of phyfiologilts,) a fine net-work, which forms the great connecting mediumbetween the different organs, and anfwers aninfinite variety of purpofes of fupport, connexionand union : when condenfed it forms the variousAlembranes or fheathings, Tendons , Ligaments tand on the furface of the body the true Skin.The chemical analyfis of all thefe parts is con-fiderably fimilar, regard being had to the ageand nature of the animal, &c.— Brain , a peculiarchemical compound. — Bone , didinguifhed forthe large proportion of earth and earthy fait;teeth, horn, and cartilage belong to this clafs.—■The Tegument of animals, either for warmth orprotection from external injury, to this belongthe Cuticle, Nail, Hair, Feather, Wool , and manyof the calcareous coverings or habitations ofanimals; Shell, Coral, &c. Some refemblancein chemical properties is found between the dif-ferent kinds of foft and hard teguments refpec-tively.

Of the animal fluids, the molt important inevery point of view is the Blood, that fluid fromwhich every other part of the animal is formed,and which therefore mult contain the elementsof every thing animal that is met with. Theanalyfis of this fluid is complicated and peculiar.The only fubltance approaching to it in proper-ties appear to be the Chyle. Milk is unqueftion-ably the next in intereft, and its analyfis haslong been familiar to chemilts. A great numberof fluids might be termed lymphatic, or fuch asconlift chiefly of water, holding in folution onlya very minute portion of animal and falinematter. The Perfpiration, the liquor whichmoiltens the cavities of the body, the Amnios,the Tears, perhaps the Saliva and PancreaticJuice are of this fpecies. A more animalizedlymph, diltinguiffied by a greater degree of vif-cidity, is the Mucus of the nofe, bronchia, theSynovia, &c.

The Bile, a fpecies of animal foap much

Mincralogic de Brochant. vol. ii. p. 548.