24 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. P h y s i o lo g i c a l Chemistry. Percentage of Nitrogen in Red Blood Corpuscles in Health and Disease. By R. v. JAKSCH (Chem. Centr., 1894, i, 782 ; from Zeit. Klin. Me&, 24, 429-440).-100 grams of healbhy blood con- tains 22.6 grams of prote’id ; in anemia, this map sink t o 10 ; the two factors concerned in this fall are the corpuscles and the plasma. 100 grams of red blood corpiiscles contains in health 5.52 grams of nitrogen, corresponding with 34.5 grams of protei’d. In acute disease, the nitrogen may rise to 5.89, and in chronic diseases, not associated with anzrnia? to 5.56. I n pernicious aneemia, it may rise to 6-43, corresponding with 40.5 grams of protei’d; but other forms of anaemia, especially chlorosis, show a great diminution in the nitrogen of the red corpuscles.The Blood in Anaemia. By N. BIERNACKI (Che??t. Centr., 1894, i, 781-782 ; from Zeit. Klin. Med., 24, 460--311).-The in- vestigation relates more particularly t o the mineral constit ueiits of the blood in various forms of anEmia, especially that produced by infectioua diseases like t,yphoid and pneumonia. Anaemic blood con- tains more sodium and water, and less potassium, phosphorus, and iron, than healthy blood. The numbers given in regard to the sodiiim chloride are :-Healthy blood contains 0,441 to 0.468 per ccnt. of sodium chloride. In pathological blood, this number fell to 0.374-0-366, or rose to 0.509-0.653 ; the cases where the rise was noted were strongly hydraemic. The excretion of the salt in the ali- mentary tract and urine does not, however, vary.Sugar in the Blood after Bleeding. By F. SCHENCK (P’iiger’s Archiv, 1894, 57, 553-572).-Claude Bernard originally stated that loss of blood caused a rise of sugar in the residual blood. This was confirmed by v. Mering, and also in the present research, where a new method (removal of proteids by mercuric chloride, and subsequent titration by KnHpp’s method) was ernployed. The rise of sugar btgins immedirttely after bleeding, but cannot be recognised a few hours after. The source of the sugar is apparently the liver, as the rise does not occur if the liver is cut off from the circulation ; it is more marked when ammonium carbonate is given, this drug stimu- lating glycogenesis, and is diminished by glycenol, which inhibits the chaiige of glycogen into sugar.By W. J. SariTH(P$z‘igei.’s Arcliiv, 1894,57,418--426).-A number of new experi- In leucaemia, the same is true. W. D. H. W. D. H. W. D. H. Formation of Sulphuric acid in the Organism.PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 25 Irents are recorded which, together with those previously published, show that mercaptans like thio-acids are decomposrcl in the organis t i , and lead to an incre;tse of sulphuric wid in the urine. Ethyl mer- captali is decomposed differently inside and outside the body, the union bettween sulphur and carbon being in the former case dissolved, in the latter not. The explanation of such a difference is postponed. W. D. H The Leucine of the Pancreatic Fermentation. By R. COHN ( B e y . , 1894,27,2727-2732).-Leucine, obtained by teruienbit~g blood- fibrin with calves' pancreas, was not fonnd to melt ant1 parti;dly sublime a t 170°, as stated i n all text-books ; i t melted and decorn- posed at 275-276".This is about the rrieltiiig point (under pres- sure) of inactive leucine, but the new modificittioii differs from the latter in its greater solubility in water, in being ftsebly laevorota- tory, and in the fact that it is completely destroyed by Penicillium qZnuc~m. It is also more soluble in water thau the pancreas- leucine hitherto described. The author suggests that. notl one leu- cine, but a series of such, is formed in the pancreatic fermentation. c. l!l. €3. Peptone in Urine. By W. ROBITSCHEK (Chem. Centr., 1&94, i, 780 ; from Zed. KZin. Hed., 24, 542-61 j4) .-Peptonurittns found in many diseases, especially during suppuration, and also in phos- phorus poisoning. Devoto's method is recommended lor its detecl ion. W. I). H. Behaviour of the Aromatic Hydroxy Ketones in the Animal Organism. By M. NENCKI (Bey., 1894, 27,2732- 2736).--Whe11 IYS- acetophenone is admiiiistered to dugs, their urine is found to coiltain re~acetopli~none-sulpllurtc acid and glycuronic acid. Yutui,sictm 1 esace- toplienonesulyhate c q stallises in w l i t e ileedles, and, by gentle warm- ing with hydrvchloric acid, is decomposed into resacetophenoiie aild sulptruiic acid. The free acid also forms white needles, a i d may be recrystiillised from alcohol. ~-'aral~ydroxypro~~ioplieiione undergoes a similar change, but the corresponding acids Lave not been isolated. 1 hese Ilytiroxyl-com- pounds therelore difter lrom acetopheiione itself, which IS converted into benzoic acid LJ oxidation in the system, and is excreted in the form of hippuric acid. A. H.