FLESH is the ordinary term for muscular tissue. After the removal of the blood vessels, nerves, connective (or cellular) tissue, etc., the F. is found to consist of vari ous textural elements, which are described in the article muscle (q.v.). Numerous analyses have been made of the muscular substance of various animals. In Dr. Day's translation of Simon's Animal Chemistry, published by the Sydenham society, there are analyses of the F. of man, the ox, calf, pig, roe, pigeon, fowl, carp, and trout. The following table gives the determinations of the individual constituents of the F. of oxen, or, in ordinary language, of beef freed, as far as possible, from blood-vessels, etc., and may be regarded as fairly representing the composition of flesh generally: Per cent.. Per cent.
Water varies from..... 74.0 to 80.0 Solid constituents vary " 26.0 " 20.0 - 100.0 100.0 The latter being made up of Muscular fiber which varies froth 15.40 " 17.70 Gelatigenous substance CC if • 0.60 " 1.90 Albumen fi f t 2.20 " 3.00 Creatine f f if0.07 " 0.14 Creatinine undetermined.
Inosic acid. do. ' Fat tf f f 1.50 to 2.30 ' Lactic acid (C611505,H0) " " 0.60 " 0.68 Phosphoric acid ,‘ • ,, 0.66 " 0.70 Potash ,, ,, 0.50 " 0.54 Soda r, ,, 0.07 " 0.09 Chloride of sodium l t f t 0.04 " 0,00 Lime - It f 1 • 0.02 " 0.03 Magnesia <, ,, 0.04 " 0.08 Long as the above list of substances is, it does not include all the ingredients of flesh. In the freshly expressed muscular juice, which exhibits a strong acid reaction (from free lactic acid, and from acid phosphates of the alkalies), we also findsmall quantities of sa•cine or hypoxanthine (q.v.), and of formic, butyric, and acetic acids-which may, however, be mere products of decomposition; very minute quantities of uric acid, and sometimes a trace of urea, ‘WIlicli, hoWever,, oceurs in very appreciable quantity in the muscles of persons who have died of cholera, and in very considerable quantity in the F. of the plagiostomous fishes, while in other fishes not a trace of it can be detected—
an apparent anomaly to which at present we see no clew; and in the juice of the heart of mammals, and in smaller quantity in their other muscles, a kind of sugar termed inosite (q.v.). Bernard has recently discovered glycogen (q.v.) iu the muscles of the embryos of various animals.
In regard• to the inorganic constituents of the juice of F., Liebig directs especial attention to the fact, that this fluid " in all animals is particularly rich in potash, and that it also contains chloride of potassium, with only traces of chloride of sodium; while in the blood only proportionally Small quantities of the salts of potash, and preponder ating quantities of the salts of soda and of common-salt, are present." He further notices the constant excess of the phosphate's over the chlorides, and of the phosphate of lime over that of magnesia in the former fluid, as points of physiological importance. The value of these investigations will be shown in the article TISSUES (q.v.).
It is worthy of notice, in connection both with physiology and dietetics, that the dried F. pf the ox is identical in its ultimate composition with dried blood, as is shown by the fdllowing analyses, which were made by prof. Lyon Playfair: Beef. Oxblood.
Carbon 51.83 51.95 Hydrogen. 7.57 7.17 Nitrogen . 15.01 15.07 Oxygen 21.37 21.39 Ashes .... 4.23 4.42 • • This analysis singularly confirms the statement made previously by an eminent French that in so far as ultimate organic composition is concerned, "the blood is squid ilesh.."—For further information ou the subject, we may refer to 'Liebig's Researches on the Chemistry of Food, translated by Gregory, and Lehmanu's .Physiological Chemistry, vol. iii. .