PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 39 Physiological Chemistry The Feeding of the Frog’s Heart. J. MCGUIRE (Zeit. Biol. 1905 47 289-31 1).-Experiments are recorded on the isolated heart of the frog which relate to facts previously known to most physiologists ; for instance that a mixture of salt solution and blood will keep the heart beating that laked blood is toxic that potassium chloride is poisonous that carbon dioxide paralyses and that temperature and season have an influence. Bowditch’s staircase phenomenon is. due to accumulation of carbon dioxide in the resting heart and the im- provement is due to a gradual removal of that gas with successive beats; no reference is made to Waller’s theory that the phenomenon is due to the favouring action of small amounts of the same gas developed during activity.Serum which most observers find is intensely toxic is here spoken of as nutritive even when deprived of all oxygen in a vacuum. W. D. H. The Action of Carbon Dioxide on the Frog’s Heart. R. H. SALTET (Zeit. Biol. 1905 47 312-322).-This paper deals particu- larly with details of the harmful action of carbon dioxide on the heart. During action the output of the gas is not much increased as compared with the resting condition. The view advanced concerning the stair- case phenomenon is the same as in the preceding paper. It is assumed throughout that serum albumin is the main nutritive material for40 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. cardiac and other muscle and carbon dioxide is stated t o be harmful because it renders this proteid not capable of utilisation.W. D. H. Action of Nutritive Fluids on the Heart. BERTHA FINN (Zeit. &ole 1905,47 323-334)-A somewhat similar series of observations and conclusions. Ringer’s solution is regarded as merely preservative and not nutrit,ive in any sense. W. D. H. Respiration of the Heart of Turtle and Frog. JULIA DIVINE (Zeit. Biol. 1905 47 335-378).-Another paper of the same series dealing especially with the reducing action the heart has on oxy ht-emoglobin. W. D. H. Loss of Function and Recovery of the Central Nervous System in Frogs. JULIUS RIES (Zeit. Biol. 1905 47 379-399).- The functions of the central nervous system are lost on cessation of the blood supply. No recovery occurs on subsequent perfusion with any saline solution unless mixed with protsid matter preferably obtained from serum.This and the foregoing four papers are all written with the apparent object of upholding Kronecker’s theory on t’he im- portance of serum albumin for the maintenance of the nutrition of tissues particularly those which are contractile. [No reference is made to the experiments of Locke and others which have led to a contrary conclusion.] W. D. H. Glycolysis. LEO RAPOPORT (Chem. Centr. 1905 ii 1371 ; from Zeit. Klin. Med. 5’7 208-214).-A consideration of the action of various tissues on sugar leads to the conclusion that glycolysis is due t o ferment action. W. D. H. Action of Radium Rays on the Peripheral Nerves. ADOLF BECK (BUZZ. Acad. Sci. Cracow 1906 286-289).-The author applied a box containing 10 mg. of radium bromide to the skin covering an ending of the sciatic nerve of rabbits ; in eight out of thirteen rabbits sensibility of the foot to an induction current disappeared entirely and in the remaining rabbits was diminished.No definite change in sensibility could be observed on a second application. The action of such small quantities of radium must be confined to the peripheral nerves as only the foot was affected. Little or no diminution of sensibility was observed on applying radium rays to the sciatic nerve- endings of dogs. The sensibility of the sensory nerve-endings of men was in some cases slightly increased in others slightly decreased on application of radium rays to the ulnar nerve. G. Y. Excretion of Creatinine in Man. CORNELIS A. PEKELHARING C. J. C. HOOGENHUYZE and H.VERPLOEGH (Proc. K. Akad. Wetensch. Amsterdam 1905 8 363-377).-The experiments recorded confirm Folin’s views (hbstr. 1905 ii 183 268) on the r8Ze creatinine plays in metabolism. The slight variations noticeable in the daily outputPHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRY. 41 can be largely explained by the amount of creatine and creatinine in the food. The special point investigated was the influence of muscular work on the excretion. This is found to have no influence when the diet is sufficient. Creatinine is not therefore a result of energy pro- duction Only if the food given is not sufficient does an increased output of creatinine appear; that is in these circumstances the material wanted for contraction is drawn from the muscular proteids. W. D. H. Effects of Choline on Animals.E. FARQUHAR BUZZARD and RJCHARD W. ALLEN (Rev. Neurol. Psychiatry 1905 453 -461).-The repeated introduction of small doses of choline into the circulating fluids of rats and rabbits does not produce any important morbid changes in the nervous system or viscera and during life no con- vulsions or paralysis are seen. Large doses (greatly in excess of what can be produced in man by degenerative nervous diseases) lead to convulsive attacks. It is improbable that the convulsions of general paralysis or of epilepsy are due directly or solely to the presence of choline in the blood or cerebrospinal fluid (confirmatory of Mott and Halliburton but against the conclusions of Donath). W. D. H. The Pharmacology of Indaconitine and Bikhaconitine. J. THEODORE CASH and WYNDHAM R.DUNSTAN (Proc. Roy. Soc. 1905 B '7S 468-490. Compare Dunstan and Andrews Trans. 1905 8'7 1620 1636).-Indaconitine an alkaloid obtained from Aconitum chas- manthum yields on partial hydrolysis acetic acid and benzoyl-pseud- aconine; the latter substance splits up on further hydrolysis into benzoic acid and pseudaconine. Bikhaconitine from A . spicatum (A. feroa var. spicutunz) yields under the same conditions acetic acid veratric acid and a pseudaconine identical with that obtained from indaconitine. As regards physiological action these two alkaloids show a qualita- tive agreement with aconitine japaconitine and pseudaconitine dealt with in previous papers (compare Abstr. 1899 ii 42 ; 1901 ii 613). Bikhaconitine has a more powerful toxic action on cats and rabbits than indaconitine ; of the alkaloids so far examined aconitine and indaconitine are about equally poisonous japaconitine is rather more active than these but not quite so toxic as bikhaconitine whilst paeudaconitine is the most active of the series.Bikhaconitine and indaconitine are equally toxic towards frogs. The greater toxic action of bikhaconitine towards warm-blooded animals is due to its more powerful depressing effect on the respiration ; the respiratory activity of frogs is also diminished to a greater extent by the former alkaloid. The relative activity of the two alkaloids in abolishing the power possessed by nerve-muscle preparations of responding to stimuli was investigated by immersing the tissues in dilute solutions of the hydro- bromides and it was found that in this respect indaconitine is slightly more active than bikhaconitine. The pseudaconines obtained from the two alkaloids appear to be identical in physiological action and behave in all respects like the aconine from aconitine described in a former paper. G. S.42 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAI PAPERS. Are Toxins Ferments 3 LEO VON LIEBERMANN (Chem. Centv. 1905 ii 1370-1371 ; from Deutsch. med. Woch. 31 No. 33. Com- pare Abstr. 1904 ii 474).-From the consideration of the quantitative relationships of such toxins as abrin and ricin the conclusion is reached that the question in the title must be answered in the negative. W. D. H.