PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRT. P h y s i o l o g i c a l C h e m i s t r y . ti3 The Nature of Fibrin Ferment. By W. D. HALLIBURTON (J. Physiol., 9, 227-286).-This paper gives a full account of the researches of which a preliminary account has already been published (Abstr., 1888, 974). W. D. H.64 ABSTRACTS OF CKERIICAL PAPERS, The Glycogen in Muscle after Section of its Nerve and its Tendon. By E. KRAIJSS ( V~TC~OW’S Archiv, 113,325-332). -The first part of this paper is devoted to the histological changes that occur in muscle after nenrotomy and tenotomy respectively. For the glycogen estimations, the tendo Achillis was divided in 21 rabbits, and the sciatic nerve in 16 others. The animals were then fed for 1 to 3 days before death with 15-30 grams of sugar dissolved in water.The glycogen was determined by Kiilz’ method (Abstr., 1886, 494). The animals were killed a t different periods varying from 2 to 124 days after the operation. The results of analysis, given in tabular form, show after neurotomy an increase of glycogen in 8, a normal amount in 3, and a decrease in 4 cases ; after tenotomy an increase in 6, a normal amount in 8, and a, decrease in 2 cases. The general result is therefore that in the pathologic81 condition of muscle produced by section of its nerve or of its tendon, metabolism is altered in such a way that glycogen is not got rid of so easily as in healthy muscle. Lactic Acid in the Blood. By G. SALOMON (Tirchow’s Archiu, 113, 356--36O).-Gaglio (Arch. Anat. Physiol., Phys. Abth., 1886, 400), and Berlinerblau (Abstr., 1888, 974) have described lactic acid as a constituent of blood.The author has for some years made similar observations in cases of disease. Thus in a specimen of leucaemic blood he found 0*05-0*06 per cent. of lactic acid ; in pleural exudation from a case of carcinoma, there was a percentage of 0.007. I n both cases, estimation of the water of crystallisation, and of the zinc in the zinc salt showed that sarcolactic acid was the particular form of lactic acid that was present. More extended observations, however, have shown that lactic acid in the blood is not characteristic of the diseases mentioned, but can be obtained from the blood of patients who have died from nearly every variety of disease. Observations on the blood removed from the vessels during life show, however, that lactic acid is then as constantly absent as it is present in the blood examined after death.If the blood is examined immediately it is drawn, lactic acid is found to be absent, but if the blood is allowed to stand a short time and then examined, the acid will then be found. Its formation is connected with the ferment actions that set in in shed blood, or in blood left in contact with dead tissues. If it is formed a t all during life, it must be rapidly oxidised, and so cannot be discovered in living blood. W. D. H. W. D. H. Micro-organisms and Proteolytic Digestion. By V. D. HARRIS and H. H. TOOTH (J. Physiol., 9, 220-‘L26).-The experiments of which this is a preliminary account gave the following results :- (1.) The general belief that micro-organisms need take no part in gastric digestion, and are generally absent was confirmed. (2.) Experiments to prove that micro-organisms are themselves competent to convert prote’ids into peptone were very unsatisfactory ; albumoses have been noticed, but never true peptone.Perhaps some special micro-organism is necessary.PEYSIOLOGICATI CHEMISTRY. 65 (3.) As i t was found exceedingly difficult to exclude micro- organisms in pancreatic digestions by employing strictly the principles of Listerian surgery in the removal of the pmcreas, the organisms were killed by the addition of antiseptic reagents, of which mercuric chloride and phenol were found to be the most effective. It was found that the tryptic ferment is able to convert proteids into peptone without the aid of micro-organisms, although that is no proof that the micro-organisms do not assist in the action in the intestine.Phenul, however, either prevents the pancreatic ferment from forming leucine and tyrosine, or else the formation of these substances depends in part a t all events on bacteria. (4.) With regard to the production of indole, it was found that the appearance of indole and its allies in alkaline pancreatic fluids is very capricious and can be easily prevented. I n plugged flasks, it may not appear for a considerable time, no other precaution being taken than that of simply plugging the flasks, micro-organisms being present in large numbers. The smallest amount of mercuric chloride or phenol, even if not sufficient to render the liquid aseptic, also prevents the for- mation of these substances.Indole appears moet readily in the difrec- tion of uncoagulnted (unboiled) proteids. Whenever it is present, lar: e numbers of all sorts of bacteria are there also, still it may be absent even if swarms of micro-organisms are present. I t thus appears that there are special indole-forming orga.nibms. Experiments with pure cultivations of the different forms of bacteria found are, however, at present incomplete. As a result of inoculation of solutions of pure peptone, and of solutions of leucine and tyrosiue with a mixture of bacteria potent to cause the formation of indole, it was found that indole is formed from the peptone, not from leucine or tyrosine. It seems, therefore, likely that the formation of indole and its allier in the alimentary canal below the stomach is ail alternative course for the excretion of nitrogen to that by the formation of leucine and ty rosin e .W. L). H. Glycogen in Diabetic Urine. By W. LEUBE (Vimhow’s Archiu, 113, 391-393).-E. Iteiuhardt (&it. anal. Chem., 1875) has de- scribed ‘. destiin ’’ as occurring in diabetic urine. Glycogen haq, however, never been detected before. Two cases were examinetl in the present research. A large amount of urine (3-5 litres) was precipitated with alcohol, the precipitate collected and washeii free from sugar. The precipitate was then dissolved in water, ant1 the solution gave a brown colour with iodine ; on boiling the solu- tion with 10 per cent. of sulphuric acid, the carbohydrate (probably glycogen) was converted into dextrose.In one of the two cases, the amount of glycogen present was very small. It is consideretl probable that the sugar in the blood is partly converted into glycogen a s it passes through the epithelium of the urinary tubules. W. D. H. Aromatic Substances in Febrile Urine. By J. S. HALDANF; (J. Yhysiol., 9, 213--219).-Diseases and conditions of the bod! where putrefactive changes are greater than normal, cause the a1)- VOL. LVI. f66 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS. pearance of an increased quantity of certain aromatic substances, phenol, cresol, indole, scatole, &c., in the urine. Brieger (Zeit. klin. -Wed., 3,465) classes, however, scarlet fever and diphtheria as putrefactive diseases with erysipelas and pyaemia i u which putrefactive processes no doubt often go on.It seemed advisable therefore to repeat these observations with regard to scarlet fever and diphtheria, especially as Brieger's method, which consisted in weighing the phenol as tribromophenol, was found to be wanting in accuracy. -It was found that the more concentrated the urine, the greater was the quantity of tribromopbenol obtainable from it, on account of the solubility of the bromine-water precipitate. In fact, on comparing Brieger's results with control experiments performed with a wine concentrated to different extents, it was found that the illcrease in phenol as described by Brieger i n scarlet fever and diphtheria, could be equally well explained by the rise of the specific gravity of the urine in those diseases.The method adopted was therefore that of estimating the proportion of sulphuric acid coiii- bined as ethereal hydrogen sulphates to that combined as ordinary sulphates. Taking the normal proportion as 1 to 10, it was found io 16 cases of scarlet fever in which the urinewas passed during the feyer to be 1 to 17, and in 13 cases in which the urine was passed during tlle first three days of convalescence to be 1 to 21 : so far as the chemical composition of the urine goes, there is thus no ground f o r regarding scarlet fever as analogous to a putrefactive process. The average of the ratio in five analyses made in cases of diphtheria was 1 to 13, hence in these cases also there was no increase in the elimination of aromatic substances. W. D. H. Physiological Action of Para- and Meta-phenylenedi- amine.By R. DLTBOIS and L. VIGNON (Conzpt. reud., 107, 533- 535).-i?Ieta- and para-phenylenediamines are similar in constitution to the ptomaines and leucoma'ines, and their physiological action is therefore of considerable interest. In doses of 8.1 gram per kilo. of body-weight, both compounds produce salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive emission of uriiie, and coma. Death follows in two to three hours in the case of the pdra-derivative arid in 15 hours with the meta-derivative. The com- pounds remove oxygen from the blood and tissues in the same way as micro-organisms which are rapidly multiplying. and the brownish products thus formed impart a dark colour t o the blood and tissues. Metaphenylenedianiirie produces in the dog all the symptoms of agqravated influenza, with continual sneezing and a hoarse cough, which ends in coma and death.Paraphenyleiiediamine produces very remarkable exophthalmia, the tissues of the eye undergoing complete alteration. C. H. B.PHYSIOLOGICAL CHEMISTRT.P h y s i o l o g i c a l C h e m i s t r y .ti3The Nature of Fibrin Ferment. By W. D. HALLIBURTON (J.Physiol., 9, 227-286).-This paper gives a full account of theresearches of which a preliminary account has already been published(Abstr., 1888, 974). W. D. H64 ABSTRACTS OF CKERIICAL PAPERS,The Glycogen in Muscle after Section of its Nerve and itsTendon. By E. KRAIJSS ( V~TC~OW’S Archiv, 113,325-332). -The firstpart of this paper is devoted to the histological changes that occur inmuscle after nenrotomy and tenotomy respectively.For the glycogen estimations, the tendo Achillis was divided in21 rabbits, and the sciatic nerve in 16 others.The animals werethen fed for 1 to 3 days before death with 15-30 grams of sugardissolved in water. The glycogen was determined by Kiilz’ method(Abstr., 1886, 494). The animals were killed a t different periodsvarying from 2 to 124 days after the operation.The results of analysis, given in tabular form, show after neurotomyan increase of glycogen in 8, a normal amount in 3, and a decreasein 4 cases ; after tenotomy an increase in 6, a normal amount in 8,and a, decrease in 2 cases. The general result is therefore that in thepathologic81 condition of muscle produced by section of its nerve orof its tendon, metabolism is altered in such a way that glycogen isnot got rid of so easily as in healthy muscle.Lactic Acid in the Blood. By G.SALOMON (Tirchow’s Archiu,113, 356--36O).-Gaglio (Arch. Anat. Physiol., Phys. Abth., 1886,400), and Berlinerblau (Abstr., 1888, 974) have described lactic acidas a constituent of blood. The author has for some years madesimilar observations in cases of disease. Thus in a specimen ofleucaemic blood he found 0*05-0*06 per cent. of lactic acid ; in pleuralexudation from a case of carcinoma, there was a percentage of 0.007.I n both cases, estimation of the water of crystallisation, and of thezinc in the zinc salt showed that sarcolactic acid was the particularform of lactic acid that was present.More extended observations, however, have shown that lactic acidin the blood is not characteristic of the diseases mentioned, but can beobtained from the blood of patients who have died from nearly everyvariety of disease.Observations on the blood removed from thevessels during life show, however, that lactic acid is then as constantlyabsent as it is present in the blood examined after death.If the blood is examined immediately it is drawn, lactic acid isfound to be absent, but if the blood is allowed to stand a short timeand then examined, the acid will then be found. Its formation isconnected with the ferment actions that set in in shed blood, or inblood left in contact with dead tissues. If it is formed a t all duringlife, it must be rapidly oxidised, and so cannot be discovered in livingblood.W. D. H.W. D. H.Micro-organisms and Proteolytic Digestion. By V. D. HARRISand H. H. TOOTH (J. Physiol., 9, 220-‘L26).-The experiments ofwhich this is a preliminary account gave the following results :-(1.) The general belief that micro-organisms need take no part ingastric digestion, and are generally absent was confirmed.(2.) Experiments to prove that micro-organisms are themselvescompetent to convert prote’ids into peptone were very unsatisfactory ;albumoses have been noticed, but never true peptone. Perhaps somespecial micro-organism is necessaryPEYSIOLOGICATI CHEMISTRY. 65(3.) As i t was found exceedingly difficult to exclude micro-organisms in pancreatic digestions by employing strictly the principlesof Listerian surgery in the removal of the pmcreas, the organismswere killed by the addition of antiseptic reagents, of which mercuricchloride and phenol were found to be the most effective.It wasfound that the tryptic ferment is able to convert proteids into peptonewithout the aid of micro-organisms, although that is no proof that themicro-organisms do not assist in the action in the intestine. Phenul,however, either prevents the pancreatic ferment from forming leucineand tyrosine, or else the formation of these substances depends in parta t all events on bacteria.(4.) With regard to the production of indole, it was found that theappearance of indole and its allies in alkaline pancreatic fluids is verycapricious and can be easily prevented.I n plugged flasks, it maynot appear for a considerable time, no other precaution being taken thanthat of simply plugging the flasks, micro-organisms being present inlarge numbers. The smallest amount of mercuric chloride or phenol,even if not sufficient to render the liquid aseptic, also prevents the for-mation of these substances. Indole appears moet readily in the difrec-tion of uncoagulnted (unboiled) proteids. Whenever it is present, lar: enumbers of all sorts of bacteria are there also, still it may be absenteven if swarms of micro-organisms are present. I t thus appears thatthere are special indole-forming orga.nibms. Experiments with purecultivations of the different forms of bacteria found are, however, atpresent incomplete. As a result of inoculation of solutions of purepeptone, and of solutions of leucine and tyrosiue with a mixture ofbacteria potent to cause the formation of indole, it was found thatindole is formed from the peptone, not from leucine or tyrosine.Itseems, therefore, likely that the formation of indole and its allier inthe alimentary canal below the stomach is ail alternative course forthe excretion of nitrogen to that by the formation of leucine andty rosin e . W. L). H.Glycogen in Diabetic Urine. By W. LEUBE (Vimhow’s Archiu,113, 391-393).-E. Iteiuhardt (&it. anal. Chem., 1875) has de-scribed ‘. destiin ’’ as occurring in diabetic urine. Glycogen haq,however, never been detected before. Two cases were examinetlin the present research.A large amount of urine (3-5 litres)was precipitated with alcohol, the precipitate collected and washeiifree from sugar. The precipitate was then dissolved in water, ant1the solution gave a brown colour with iodine ; on boiling the solu-tion with 10 per cent. of sulphuric acid, the carbohydrate (probablyglycogen) was converted into dextrose. In one of the two cases, theamount of glycogen present was very small. It is consideretlprobable that the sugar in the blood is partly converted intoglycogen a s it passes through the epithelium of the urinary tubules.W. D. H.Aromatic Substances in Febrile Urine. By J. S. HALDANF;(J. Yhysiol., 9, 213--219).-Diseases and conditions of the bod!where putrefactive changes are greater than normal, cause the a1)-VOL. LVI.66 ABSTRACTS OF CHEMICAL PAPERS.pearance of an increased quantity of certain aromatic substances,phenol, cresol, indole, scatole, &c., in the urine.Brieger (Zeit. klin. -Wed., 3,465) classes, however, scarlet fever anddiphtheria as putrefactive diseases with erysipelas and pyaemia i uwhich putrefactive processes no doubt often go on. It seemedadvisable therefore to repeat these observations with regard toscarlet fever and diphtheria, especially as Brieger's method, whichconsisted in weighing the phenol as tribromophenol, was found tobe wanting in accuracy. -It was found that the more concentratedthe urine, the greater was the quantity of tribromopbenol obtainablefrom it, on account of the solubility of the bromine-water precipitate.In fact, on comparing Brieger's results with control experimentsperformed with a wine concentrated to different extents, it was foundthat the illcrease in phenol as described by Brieger i n scarlet feverand diphtheria, could be equally well explained by the rise of thespecific gravity of the urine in those diseases.The method adoptedwas therefore that of estimating the proportion of sulphuric acid coiii-bined as ethereal hydrogen sulphates to that combined as ordinarysulphates. Taking the normal proportion as 1 to 10, it was found io16 cases of scarlet fever in which the urinewas passed during the feyerto be 1 to 17, and in 13 cases in which the urine was passed duringtlle first three days of convalescence to be 1 to 21 : so far as thechemical composition of the urine goes, there is thus no ground f o rregarding scarlet fever as analogous to a putrefactive process.The average of the ratio in five analyses made in cases ofdiphtheria was 1 to 13, hence in these cases also there was no increasein the elimination of aromatic substances. W. D. H.Physiological Action of Para- and Meta-phenylenedi-amine. By R. DLTBOIS and L. VIGNON (Conzpt. reud., 107, 533-535).-i?Ieta- and para-phenylenediamines are similar in constitutionto the ptomaines and leucoma'ines, and their physiological actionis therefore of considerable interest.In doses of 8.1 gram per kilo. of body-weight, both compoundsproduce salivation, vomiting, diarrhea, excessive emission of uriiie,and coma. Death follows in two to three hours in the case of thepdra-derivative arid in 15 hours with the meta-derivative. The com-pounds remove oxygen from the blood and tissues in the same wayas micro-organisms which are rapidly multiplying. and the brownishproducts thus formed impart a dark colour t o the blood and tissues.Metaphenylenedianiirie produces in the dog all the symptoms ofagqravated influenza, with continual sneezing and a hoarse cough,which ends in coma and death. Paraphenyleiiediamine producesvery remarkable exophthalmia, the tissues of the eye undergoingcomplete alteration. C. H. B