98 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.. Physiological Chemistry. Equivalent Substitution of Mineral Substances in Animals and Plants. By P. CHANPIONand H. PELLET (Compt. wnd. lxxxiii 48.5-488).-A table of analyses of the ash from the flesh of various animals and from eggs is given to show that while there is considerable variation in the relative amounts of soda potash lime and magnesia the quantity o€ sulphuric acid required to saturate the whole of the bases in each case varies within narrow limits and the quantity of phosphoric acid present in the ashes is nearly constnmt. R.R. Assimilation of different Sorts and Mixtures of Foods by Pigs. By WOLFF,FUNKE (Ladw. Versuchs-Stat., and DITTMANN xix 241-313).-This paper contains an account of some experiments carried out at the Experimental Station of Hohenheim during 1872-1873 of which the chief novelty is an enquiry into the nutritive value of cockchafers.Some of the results have already been published in the Wiirttemb. Wochenblcrft fir Land. zc. FomtzrirtkschaJt 1873 No. 49 and they have also been briefly noticed by Wolff in a paper read at the meeting of the German Natural Philosophers at Wiesbaden Sept. 1873 (Jour. Chen2. Soc. xxvii 384) but the puhlication of a complete and classified report has hitherto been unavoidably delayed. Four young pigs of half English breed were selected two and two from the same litters those mentioned as Nos. 2 and 4 being about twelve weeks old and the other two Nos. 1and 3 between five and six months old at the commencement of the experiments.They were fed always three times a day their food being mixed with lukewarm water generally in the proportion of about a liter to every 200 grams. The more important results are shown in the following tables :-Composition of dried Feeding Materials the Digestibility of zchich could Be determined with tolerable accuracy. I I Non-Protein Fibre. jnitmgenowl Ash. substance. extractive Cockchafers .............. 64.09 16'06 4*?3 7 *83 Cocoa-nut cake ............ 26.69 13'66 44.93 6 *12 Barley meal (a) ............ 14 *05 6 '13 '74 *78 2 a97 , , (6) ............ 12.65 4-28 '77'10 2 -79 Indian-corn meal .......... 10 -59 2'18 80-18 2 -08 Pea meal.. ................ 26 '03 8.67 59.78 3 -40 PHYSIOLOGICAL CHENISTRP.Coqjicients o,f Digestibility. ~~~ ~ ~ Protein. Fat. Extractive matter. I-Cockchafers .................... 68 *97 83 -04 - Cocoa-nut cake .................. '73 -44 83 -20 89 -24 90.09 Barley meal (a,).................. 78 -00 65 '92 .. , (tl).. ................ 79 -11 72 *28 91 +17 Indian-con1 meal ................ 84 '53 76.46 92.81 Pea meal.. ...................... 84 *43 66.52 94 9'6 The amount of actual nourishment i.e. constituents actually diges- tible contained in a hundred parts of dried food is therefore as follows :-Estractivc Protein. Fat. Hibre. matter . ---I Cockchafers .................... 44 '20 6 -05 ,* -Cocoa-nut cake .................. 19 -60 7-16 8'24 40.10 Barley meal (a)..................10-96 2 -02 0.96 67.3'7 ,) )) (6) .................. 10-01 2 -30 -'70 -29 Indian-corn meal ................ 8.95 3 -80 0.41 74-41 Pea meal.. ...................... 21.98 1-41 5.36 56-65 It will be seen that the protein substance of cockchafers and cocoa- nut cake is less digestible than that of barley meal whilst the protein of maize and pea meal is more so ; but that the fat of cockchafers and cocoa-nut cake is better digested than that of pea and barley meal the coefficient for Indian-corn meal being about the mean. The following table shows the daily increase in the weight of the animals and the quantity of dry food and of actually digestible con- stituents required for the production of 100 kilograms of live weight :-* Chitin is quite iiidigestible to pigs.ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. -*G Increase For the production of 100 kilo-;$ OEl .nTeight grams of live nqeight. .3 .A u51 Discription of Food. da2 per h cad __ 22 per day. Dry Carbo-F;w food. hydrates. -~-Kilos. Pigs 1 and 2. Days. Kilos. Kilos. Barley meal ............... 16 0 *369 441 48.4 9.3 334 *s 2 barley + 1 cockchafers .... 16 0 -393 413 90.0 13 .7 194 -5 1 barley + 1 cockchafers .... 15 0 ‘332 458 133.4 195 172-5 Barley meal .............. 24 0 *451 452 43 3 10 .4 317.7 )) ) .............. 28 0 -495 4.33 42-4 9.2 301 -6 )) )) .............. 16 0 -492 422 42’1 30.9 297 -1 )) , .............. 12 0 -461 450 4; ‘4 11.6 317 -0 Pi<qs3 and 4. Barley meal ..............16 0 ‘375 377 41.0 7.0 251.9 1 barley + 1cocoa-nut cake.. 16 0 925 437 60.2 16.2 267 ‘0 2 barley + 1cockchafers .... 15 0 -357 430 92.2 13.7 197-7 Barley meal .............. 24 0 -3P8 439 43.9 10.1 30s .G 8 barley + 1cockchafers .... 28 0 *430 394 56.2 10.1 2%4-0 6 barley + 1 starch ........ 16 0 -411 454 39.5 9.6 333 *I Pigs 2 and 4. 3 barley + 1starch ........ 12 0 ‘504 373 25.0 5.6 285.8 Maize meal.. .............. 16 0 ’278 649 55.0 24 6 484 * 8 Pea meal.. ................ 15 0.411 367 80.8 5.5 227 -3 The mean of 14 of the above experiments shows an increase of 100 kilograms in weight to have been produced by the consumption of 432 kilograms of dry barley or 358 kilograms of actually digestible organic substances. H..H. B. S. Formation of Pepsin in Batrachians. By H. VON SWTECI CK I (Pffjger’s Archiv. f. Pliysinloyie xiii 444-452) .-A microscopical examination of the stomach of the frog reveals in its cardiac end. as also in the esophagus peculiar glands which have not hitherto been described and concerning whose physiological importance nothing is known. These glands which stretch in thick layers from the commence-ment of the msopliagus to the cardiac dilatation of the stomach present distinct differences according to the stage of digestion. They are of a ramified tirbular form possessing dull cylindrical cells which exhibit an ordinary eccentric nucleus. Though varying in size the cells show a clear outline and a tendency to coloration (carmine haematoxylin).Both-sized cells are found together the larger being in excess in that portion of the membrane richest in pepsin. Chemical experiments show that during digestion the cells are larger and contain more pepsin than during fasting; also that the quantity of pepsin in the cesophagus exceeds that of the stomach whilst the pyloric region always contains the least. This fact led to PHYSIOLOOICAL CHEMISTRY. other experiments which show that the formation of pepsin takes place almost entirely in the cesophagus whilst the cells of the stomach form the acid. The quantity of pepsin formed increases during the first 6 to 10 hours of' digestion then decreases until about the 20th hour whe~ it attains its minimum and again increases. These results have been verified upon other batrachians.F. J. L. Acetone in Urine. By W. MARKOWXIKOFF (Liebig's Amalen clxxxii 362-364).-The author found in 73 litcrs oP the urine of a boy of 16 suffering from diabc>tes complicated with other disorders 30 grams of acetone and nhut 3 grams of alcohol ; ad in 82 liters of the urine of a girl affected with diabetes alone 5 grams of acctone and a very small quantity of alcohol. He believes that acetone and ethyl alcohol are constant constituents of the urine in diabetes and that they are the product of a peculiar fermentation of glucose such fermentation being consequent on the formation in the organism of a special acetone-ferueiit. J. It. Chemical Investigation of a Case of Cystinuria. By W. F. L o E B I Y c H (Lkbifs Amuxlen clxxxii 231-240).-The author has determined the aniounts of area uric acid cystine and sulphuric acid contained each day during 14 consecutive clays in the urine of a young man affected with cystinuria.The urine when first voided was per-fectly bright of yellow colour without peculiar odour and always acid except on one day when vegetable food alone was eaten. On standing for 10 or 12 hours the cystine was deposited in fine loose graiiules on the sides and bottom of the containing vessel and pre- seiited much the same appearaiice as calcium oxalate deposited from acid urine. The analytical results showed the presence on the average of 3328 grams of urea 0.5545 gram of uric acid 0.3930 gram of cystine and 2.439 grams of sulphuric acid in the 1296 C.C.of urine vbided daily. The author concludes from these results that the secre- tion of' the nibrogenous d~composition-proc3uctsof albumiiiotids is not affected by the formation of cystine. J. R. On the relation of Sodium Chloride to certain Animal Fermentation-Processes. By AL E XA N D E R Sc H M I D T (P'u~w's Archiv. f.Phys. xiii 93-14G).-In this paper the author gives the results of his experiments on the coagulation of milk with rennet the digestion of albumin with pepsin and describes more fully the influ- ence of neutral salts on the coagulation of' fibrin. 1. The CoaguJatiom of LlIilk by RenrLet.-By entire removal of the soluble salts the author attained the highest degree of activity of the casein ferment whence it follows that the alkali-salts contained in the milk and in the gastric juice especially sodium chloride influence the coagulation of casein only by hindering its progress.2. Uigestiow of Albuininous Bodies by Pepsin arLd Hydrochloric Acid.- The author found iii confirmation of previous experiments that by the addition of -5to *6of sodium chloride to gastric juice containing little or no salt the fermentative activity is greatly diminished the time ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. of solution often increasing in length from 3 to 10 times. Egg albumin boiled in the shell and therefore containing all the salts is he found much less soluble than that coagulated by dilution with acidulation and boiling in which case only a part of the soluble and insoluble ash components is retained in the coagulum.For the same reason the latter is dissolved more slowly than albumin coagulated after dialysis. He finds that the transformation into peptone occurs more rapidly in the case of casein than of albumin. The author shows that in the new-born calf less pepsin is formed than in one six weeks old. He thinks however that this smaller quantity suffices for its wants. 3. The Congulation of l?iibrin.-The author expresses the relation subsisting between the soluble salts and the fibrino-plastic substance in a coagulable fluid as follows :-1. The proportion of soluble salts remaining constant the weight of fibrin increases in a diminishing ratio with the proportion of fibrino-plastic substance within certain limit8s beyond which it diminishes until coagulation is entirely absent.2. The proportion of fibrino-plastic substance remaining constant the weight of fibrin increases in a diminishing ratio with the content of salts within certain limits beyond which it diminishes until coagula- tion is prevented. The first law the author has previously demonstrated; in proof of the latter he describes numerous experiments in this paper. By increasing the amount of fibrino-plastic substance and salts in a coagulable fluid the quant'ity of fibrin may be increased up to a certain point this being limited by the quantity of fibrinogenous sub-stance present. The author found tbat if a coagulable transndation did not coagulate on the addition of fibrin-ferment it never did so on the further addition of sodium chloride.In those coagulable transudations which coagulated on the addition of fibrin ferment the addition of from -2 to -5per cent. of sodium chloride always dimin- ished the amount of fibrin formed. As regards the mpidity of coagulation the author's observations confirm those of Heidenhain with regard to the digestion of albumin by pancreatin. They are to the effect generally that with an equal proportion of salt the rapidity increases with the content of ferment up to a certain limit not to be exceeded and with a constant proportion of ferment it rises with an increase of salt up to a certain point beyond which it sinks on increasing the salt. With regard to the fibrinogenous substance the author finds that the amount contained in the pericardial fluid of the horse and in human hydrocele fluid is greater than that of the fibrin obtained from the same fluids under the most favourahle circumstances.The anionnt of the produet of decomposition is therefore less than thatl of one of the component albuminous substances. The author concludes that the quantity of fibrin obtainable from a given fluid is variable and depends on the concurrence of the following conditions :-1. Con-tent of fibrin generators. 2. Content of salt. 3. Content of alkali. 4. Temperature of coagulation. 5. And to a limited degree the con- tent of ferment and hemoglobin (?). From experiments described the author draws the following con- clusions :- FKYSIOLOQICAL CHEJfISTRY.103 1. In B satmated alkaline solution of the fibrin generators free from salt and not containing an excess of the dissolving agent there is formed by the action of fibrin ferment a product insoluble in water and soluble in an excess of alkali which is not fibrin but in pre- sence of neutral alkali-salts in the alkaline solution becomes converted into fibrin. Provided there is no excess of alkali present almost &liewhole of the globulin-like substances contained in the fluid become converted into this body. 2. Having shown in previous experiments that in solutions of the fibrin generators in nentral alkali-salts in presence of fibrin-fer-men$ coagulation occurs (provided there he no excess of the salt) the author thinks that in this case a similar transformation occu~s.The same agent whieh causes the solution of the fibrin generators gives rke also in. this case to the conversion of the transformation-product into fibrin. 3. By a suEciently great excess of alkalis and neutral salts this transformation of the coagulation substratum is prevented ;this sub- stance retains the characters of the globulin-like bodies. 4. The blood contains in its alkalis and salts of alkaline reaction done sufficient dissolving agents to dissolve the globulin-like coni- ponents. The excess however of dissolving agents is not so great as to prevent entirely the action of the ferment ; a part of the substtratum is therefore transformed the rest remaining in solution as globulin-like body. Ordinarily this residue consists only of fibrino-plastic substance and can therefore not be converted into fibrin.The trncw-jkrmed portion which is at first retained in solution by the alkaline components of tile fluid is converted by the action of the neutral salts into fibrin. Experimenting with horse-blood plasma the author found that satu-ration with sodium chloride precipitated not only the globulin sub-stances but also the fermentative product of its transformation. The fibrin-substances precipitated by sodium chloride from one and the same plasma resemble true fibrin more the nearer the time at which they are precipitated is to the moment of spontaneous sepam- tion of the fibrin. The author applies the term fibrin to those only which are insoluble in a solution of sodium chloride whether more or less soluble in soda.Sodium chloride he finds hinders to a certain degree the enclosure of fibrin-ferment by fibrino-plastic substance. With regard to the action of alkalis on the intermediate product of coagulation the author finds that this consists in a further transfor- mation of the same into a slimy mass having the same characters as that obtained by Semmer and the author from the stroma and nuclei of amphibian blood-corpuscles by means of dilute soda. In conclusion the author likens the coagulation of fibrin to an inverted digestion. E. C. B. The Albuminous Ferment of the Pancreas. By S. PODO-L I N sK 1 (PJZuger’s Archiv. f.Ph~j.siologie,xiii 422-443) .-Heidenhain found that the albumin-dissolving ferment of the pancreas does riot exist in the living gland but appears first in the secretion.It can however ~QITTI itself in the tissue of the gland after death and this conversion t,akesplace (a) on exposing the organ to the atmosphere ; (b) on diluting the glycerin extract of the fresh gland with water; (c) on tiwatirag the substance of the gland with acids- This paper describes B series of experiments made with the view of accuratdy discovering the cause of this yost-nzoi-kiu formation of pan-creatin. And the experiments show this conversion to be in all three instances dne to the action of oxygen onthe substance contained 41~the living gland viz. zpogen.* F. a. La