92 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. Physiological Chemistry. Chemical Researches on the Brain. By M. GOBL E Y (J. Pharm. Chim. [4] xx 161-16G). THEbrain contains two albumino'id matters one of which is sduble in water and does not differ from albumin ; for the other which is inso-luble in that liquid the author proposes the name of eephalin. The fatty matter of the brain is formed principally of cholesterin lecithin and cerebrin besides which there are traces of olein and margarin. The brain contains the ordinary sdts of the human system together with extractive matters of yvhich some are soluble in water and alcohol others solubIe in water and insoluble in alcohol. During putrefaction the cerebral pulp furnishes acid products amongst which are oleic margaric phosghogly ceric and phosphoric acids.The following may be considered as tile meari percent,age composition of the brain :-Water ........................................ 80*00 Albumin.. ................................... 1.00 Cephalin.. ............................:....... 7-00 Cholesterin.. .................................. 1.00 Cerebrin ...................................... 3.00 Lecithin ...................................... 5.50 Olein and margarin .......................... .. Inosite creatine xanthine &c. &c. .............. Extractive matters (aqueous and alcoholic) ........ 1:iO Chlorides of potassium and sodium.. ............} 1.00 Phosphates of potassium calcium magnesium &c. 100~00 H. J. H. On the Source of the Acid of the Gastric Juice.By B. MALY(Ann. Chem. clxxiii 227-273). THEfree hydrochloric acid of the gastric juice may be derived either from the dissociation of neutral chlorides or from their decomposition PHYSIOLOQICAL CHEMISTRY. 93 by an organic acid (lactic acid) formed from carbohydrates. Bence Jones found that the acidity of the urine is diminished during the secretion of the gastric juice and reached its minimum when digestion is at its height ; this is explained on the first supposition by the alkali formed by the dissociation being removed by the kidneys ; and on the second by the lactates formed by the decomposition being oxidised to carbonates and then entering the urine. The author has performed numerous experiments with dogs ;causing a flow of gastric juice by irritation he at the same time injected into their stomachs an insoluble substance which would neut'ralise the free acid and afterwards drew off tAhe urine and tested it.The substances employed were calcium carbonate bone-meal ferric hydrate calcium phosphate and aluminium hydrate ; in all cases the urine after the injection was alkaline whatever its reaction before. Also in an experiment without the use of a neutralising substance with a dog into whose stomach food was introduced and then with- drawn with the gastric juice through a fistula the urine was after- wards strongly alkaline. Experiments of a like nature with men though the conditions were more complicated tended to a like result. Quinck (Correspondemz-blatt f.Schweizerische Aerzte 1874 No. l) gives a case of a woman with abscess in the stomach whose urine was always alkaline subsequently to the removal of the contents of the stomach after food. A solution of lactic acid and sodium chloride when distilled yielded traces of hydrochloric acid only in the last distillate; but diffusion experiments with lactic acid and ferrous sodium calcium and magne- sium chlorides showed that all these were decomposed in dilute solutions by lactic acid with formation of free hydrochloric acid. A series of experiments on the lactic fermentation were then made with the mucous membrane of the stomach of pigs digested at 40" with 2 per cent. solutions of grape-sugar cane-sugar milk-sugsil. and dextrin.Lactic acid was formed from each of these carbohydrates but the formation was generally prevented by exposing the membrane to a temperature of loo" and always by a temperature of 110",though there still appears a tendency to renew the action after a time The same experiments tried with the fresh gast'ric juicerof a dog in place of the membrme developed no acid in any case. The watery infusion of the mucous membrane with the sugar-solutions developed acid as also did the residue though to a less extent than the fresh membrane. Blood serum from an ox was also digested at 40" with a piece of the stomach and its alkalinity found to decrease. Bacteria were developed in abundance at the same time as the acid was formed rendering it doubtful that the formation of lactic acid is a function of the living membrane.The addition of small percentages of phenol and arsenious acid prevented the fermentation this and the behaviour after heating are indications that the lactic ferment is an organised body and* not a soluble chemical ferment. The stomach taken from a dog immediately after killing digested with a 2 per cent. sugar solution produced scarcely any acid at first but much more after two days. ABSTRACTS OF CHENICAL PAPERS. The stomach of a dog with fistula was exhausted and milk of mag-nesia introduced ; after an hour the stomach was again emptied and the stmount of magnesia dissolved was eshimated. The same operation was afterwards repeated except that grape-sugar was introduced with the magnesia on again emptying the stomach the same amount of magnesia was found in solution showing that no acid had been formed from the sugar.All these results tend to the conclusion that the forma-tion of lactic acid from carbohydrates is not a function of the living membrane of the stomach. Though Lehmann and others have found lactic acid in the gastric juice Schmidt and the author have failed to identify it and maintain that it is absent in pure gastric juice. The source of the free hydro- chloric acid in gastric juice is to be sought in the dissociation of chlo- rides without the aid of an acid. E. K. Value of Gelatigenous Tissues in Nutrition. By CARLVOIT(Zeitechrift f. Biologie x 202-245). THEauthor gives details of a feeding experiment with ossein on a dog.The results like those with pelatin show that it effects a saving of albumin and of fat but cannot be substituted for albumin 10.71 grams of ossein per diem reduced the daily loss of nitrogen from 10.17 grams whilst fastiq to 8.4. Unlike gelatin it does not produce diarrhea. The author recapitulates the differences of opinion between himself and Hoppe-Seyler (compare this Jownal xxvi 284 and xxvii 487). The latter thinks that the consumption of albuminous matters in the system is due to the decay of the cells and tissues ; whilst Voit believes that by far the greater part is due to the oxidation of the circulating albumin of the lymph when this srnbstance enters the cells and tissues and not to the decay of the tissues themselves.E. K. Digestibility of the Gelatigenous Tissues. By JOHANN (Zeitschrift f. Biologie x,84-110). ETZINGER AFTERgiving a long historical review of the published experiments made and views held on the subject of the digestibility and nutritive value of gelatin and the gelatigenous tissues Etzinger proceeds to describe his own experiments made to determine the points in dispute. In experiments made with gelatin he found that at the temperature of the body no change took place in gelatin when this substance was treated with dilute acids even after prolonged digestion ; but that the. addition of pepsin to the acid solution debormined the gelatinization of the solution within forty-eight hours and that it subsequently under- went important changes.The gelatigenous tissues underwent rapid solution when treated with pepsin and mere dissolved to a fluid which did not gelatinise on cooling. On experimenting upon animaIs by feeding them with bones tendons cartilage and other gelatigenous tissues it was found that the gelati- PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. genous material of these tissues plays an important part in nutrition ; and since they contain no albumin those tissues furnish nitrogenous material for oxidation in the body and thus effect a saving in the oxidation of the albuminojid tissues. The inorganic insoluble material of bones did not appear to undergo absorption. T. S. Peptones and their Function in Nutrition. By P. P ~6 sz (Pfluger’s Archiv. f. Physiologie ix 323-329).THEauthor finds from his own experiments that dogs may be nourished and even gain weight when fed on a diet rich in peptones but froin which all the unchanged albumins are absent. It is hence evident that albumins may be formed in the animal organism from peptones. Plosz concludes that the real elements of nutrition are not the albu- mins but the products of decomposition of these-in fact their smallest nitrogenous molecules. T. S. The Absorption of Mucilage and Gum from the Intestinal Canal. (Zeitschr. f. Biologie x 58-68.) A MEMOIR mainly of physiological interest. It was found that in the intestinal canal gum is partly changed into glucose or it is converted by fermentation into acid products which are then absorbed. Quince mucilage is either absorbed unchanged or it undergoes an acid fermentation like starch.A conversion of mucilage into glucose can scarcely be said to occur. T. S. Replacement of Lime in the Bones. By J. E~~NIG (Zeitschr. f. Biologie x 65-72). H. WEISKE having asserted and Papillon denied that animals fed on food containing strontium phosphate have this salt deposited in their bones Konig has repeated the observations with certain modifica- tions in the method. His experiments support Weiske’s conclusions and show that strontium phosphate may yeplace calcium phosphate in part. Aluminium phosphate when administered in food was not detected in the bones. The experiments were made on Guinea pigs. T. s. Bile Pigments. By J. I?. T A 12 c HA N o F F (Pfluger’s Archiv.f. Physiologie ix 329-334). TARCHANOFF shows that the injection of a solution of haxnoglobin into the jugular veins produces a large flow of bile-pigment from the liver. This organ has indeed the power of absorbing bile-pigment from the blood slid secreting it in Lhc bile whilst the pigment simply filters through the renal cells into the urine. T. S. ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. Fermation of the Colouring Matter of Urine from Blood. By F. HOPPE-SEYLER (Deut. Chem. Ges. Ber. vii 1065). BYthe action of reducing agents especially tin and hydrochloric acid on an alcoholic solution of hErnatin? the author has obtained a yellow colouring matter which agrees in properties with the urobilin of JaEe or the hydrobilirubin of Maly.W A. T. Behaviour of some Aromatic Compounds in the Animal Body, By L. TON NENCKI(Chem. Centr. 1874 182). THEauthor experimented with benzamide terpene ( CloH,,),and mesi- tylene. According ta earlier researches of the author and Schultzen acetamide is excreted unchanged. Benzamide produced hippuric acid in the urine and therefore by combination with a molecule of water had split up into ammonia and benzoic acid. The experiments m4.h ter- pene led to no result. When mesitylene was administered mesitylenic acid was found in the urine together with small quantities of an acid which was probably ;t compound of mesitylenic acid with glycocine. Mesitylene is therefore allied in its behaviour to toluene and xylene. G. T.A. Connection between Isomorphism Molecular Weight and Physiological Action.By JAMES BLAKE(Am. J. Sci. [3] vii 193-197). A ‘rABLE is given showing the physiological action of compounds of metals and metallo’ids when introduced directly into the blood. The compounds are arrariged in isomorphous groups each group appearing to differ in physiological action from the other groups. In the case of the metallic elements it appears that the physiological activity in the same group increases with the atomic weight. A few exceptions are found as in czesium which differs from the other mem- bers of the group in its action on the nervous system. The author considers that in living matter we possess a reagent capable of aiding us in investigations on the molecular properties of substances. x.w. P. Intestinal Concretion containing Lithium. By DELACHANAL (Compt. rend. lxxviii 1859). and MERMET THIS concretion weighing 150 grams was taken from a sturgeon caught near Astrakan. The phosphate of lithium amounted to ha of the concreticn. 3.J. G.