Read Ebook: On adipocire and its formation by Wetherill Charles Mayer

Font size: 10 px 15 px 20 px 25 px 30 px 35 px

Background color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Text color: BlackWhiteGrayLight GrayDark GrayDim Gray

Apply/Save settings

Ebook has 5180 lines and 114602 words, and 104 pages

The appearance of these bottles, on December 13th, 1854, was as follows:--

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 analysis of bullock's heart is as follows:--

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 chordae tendineae 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 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, 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 gave a per centage of 0?048 white ash. The iron of the former proceeds probably from the haematine 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

FOOTNOTES:

Liebig thinks this probable. Ch. Briefe.

The degrees of thermometer in this article are centigrade, and the weights grammes.

Lehmann, Lehrbuch.

Lehmann.

The liquid from No. 3 was all absorbed by the pressing cloths, and not collected.

Ann. de Ch. & de Ph., xvii. p. 390.

Ogni suo voto sarebbe stato soddisfatto, appena fosse sposa di lui.

Affezioni simili non datano dal d? d'oggi, bench? la educazione diversa, i diversi costumi potessero renderle assai pi? rare in quel tempo.

Donna Maria aveva dunque in s? degli elementi preziosi di progresso: perch? ogni sua parola, ogni sorriso, ogni sguardo era calcolato, gettato per fare effetto.

E con questi difetti, o qualit?, come si vorr? chiamarle, cattivava intieramente il principe.

--Oim?! il tempo di separarci ? venuto, gli disse ella.

--Che! di gi?? Mi sembra s? poco che son qui presso di voi, cara donna Maria!

--A me pure; ma...

--Il duca non ? assente? Non siete voi libera per qualche ora?

--Ei non mi disse quanto sarebbe durata la sua assenza. Seppi a caso che doveva partire... Una passeggiata a cavallo pu? durare anche pochissimo.

--Ah s?! avete ragione: mi converr? lasciarvi. Al suo ritorno don Francesco potrebbe chiedere di voi... Ma non temete l'indiscrezione di qualche servo?

--Non temo; perch? mi vedono molte volte passeggiare in giardino, quantunque sia nel verno. Poi ho una delle mie donne, che mi ? intieramente devota, quella che impiegai sempre per comunicare con voi.... Fu dessa che, sotto un suo particolare pretesto, ottenne dal giardiniere la chiave di questa stanza. Ora ella veglia qui presso.

--Addio dunque, donna Maria: rammentatevi di me.

--Potete voi dirmelo?

--Ch? non mi ? dato rattenere il tempo?

--Vedete, caro principe: la notte ? gi? discesa: partite; addio.

Il giovane dovette rassegnarsi: e dopo qualche altra parola di commiato piena di passione, si allontan? colle pi? grandi precauzioni.

La notte era discesa infatti, e donna Maria non indugi? a rientrare.

Era agitata. Ormai si teneva sicurissima, ? vero, d'aver affascinato il principe in modo, che ei non potesse pi? sfuggirle. Quel primo colloquio, avuto con lui da sola a solo, ne la accertava: per questo pensava meno al giovane di quanto lo avesse fatto prima di recarsi all'appuntamento.

Ma altri timori le impedivano gioire intieramente del suo trionfo. Il duca adirato le passava dinanzi come un fantasma terribile. Una sola persona, lo sapeva, poteva farsi perdonare da lui; ed era quella persona appunto, ch'ella aveva accusata. Le restava minacciare il duca di rivelare il segreto del padre; ma questo pensiero, che dapprima l'aveva rassicurata, non le infondeva pi? tanto coraggio.

Ella non potrebbe egualmente forse salvarsi da una esplosione di collera.

<

>>E mia sorella? Oh avr? bel fare!... Il principe ama me sola.... di questo non voglio pi? preoccuparmi; non devo nemmeno parlargli di lei.... no; non voglio mostrare di temer donna Rosalia.>>

Qualche momento dopo, donna Maria era seduta tranquillamente dinanzi al camino in una sala di riunione. Attendeva il ritorno del duca con viva ansiet?.

Molte volte aveva gi? chiesto di lui alla fidata camerista, che erasi guadagnata colla promessa di condurla seco e di migliorarne la condizione, quando ella sposerebbe il principe degli Alberi.

Ma il duca non era ancor ritornato.

Eppure le stelle gi? da qualche tempo brillavano in cielo.

<>

Poi, vedendo entrare la camerista senza che l'avesse chiamata:

--Ebbene? le domand?.

--Il signor duca ? ritornato, rispose l'interrogata.

--Viene qui?

--No: ? gi? salito nel suo appartamento, e vi si ? rinchiuso.

Donna Maria si alz?.

--Accompagnami alle mie stanze, disse alla camerista, che la segu? in silenzio.

Era collera verso di lei, o verso la moglie, che faceva desiderare al duca di essere solo?

Share on: WhatsApp @Hash Facebook Tweet