| C | H | O | N | ||
| Starch food substances, | 18 | 13 | 15 | ||
| Sugar, grape, | 6 | 12 | 6 | ||
| Sugar,,, cane, | H2O + | 12 | 22 | 11 | |
| Oils, aniseed, etc., | 10 | 12 | 1 | ||
| Acids, tartaric, | 4 | 6 | 6 | ||
| Acids,, , citric, etc., | 6 | 8 | 7 | ||
| Hydrocyanic, or prussic, acid, one of the strongest poisons, | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||
| Tannin or tannic acid, | 27 | 22 | 17 | ||
| Turpentine oil (composed of carbon and hydrogen only) | 10 | 16 | |||
We have other vegetable products called alkaloids, that are principally found in the bark and the leaves. A few examples will suffice:
| C | H | N | O | |
| Morphia, | 17 | 19 | 1 | 3 |
| Strychnine, | 21 | 22 | 2 | 2 |
| Quinine (sulphate H2SO4), | 20 | 24 | 2 | 2 |
| The essence of coffee and tea, caffein or thein, | 8 | 10 | 4 | 2 |
The alcohols, acids, ethers, and so on, are all composed of these elements:
| C | H | O | |
| Alcohol, | 2 | 6 | 1 |
| Acetic acid, | 2 | 4 | 2 |
The combinations are infinite. Volumes are filled with organic chemistry. Mere mention only can be made, to show the wonderful power these elements display when variously combined.
The products of destructive distillation of coal yield a remarkable series of combinations:
| Carb. | Hyd. | ||
| Light carburetted hydrogen, marsh gas, or fire-damp, is composed of | 1 | 4 | (C1H4) |
| Aceteline, another product, | 2 | 2 | (C2H2) |
| Heavy carburetted hydrogen, olefiant gas, the gas we burn, ethelene, | 2 | 4 | (C2H4) |
These may undergo a vast variety of changes and combinations. Chloroform, alcohol, ethers, acids, oils and fats, resins, balsams, etc., etc., all have these elements in combination.
Does it not seem strange that the different numerical combinations of the same elements should have such different effects upon the animal system?