THE SUPRARENAL SYSTEM 2C)I 



neutral fats and fatty acids, together with single phosphatides 

 soluble in acetone. Distillation with benzine follows, and this 

 process carries off the whole of the unsaturated phosphatides, 

 together with minute quantities of the sphingogalactocides. Sub- 

 sequent distillation with benzol, absolute alcohol, diluted alcohol 

 and ether yields the saturated substances. 



The results of my analysis of the suprarenals of pigs were 

 as follows : The organs contained 74.61 per cent, of water to 

 25.39 per cent, of dry substance. Of this dry substance, 61.12 

 per cent, was albuminoids, &c., and 38.88 per cent, was lipoid 

 substances, together with extractive substances not as yet 

 chemically defined. These figures show the richness of the 

 suprarenals in lipoid material. But it must be remembered that, 

 by employing the whole suprarenal for these experiments, no 

 distinction between medulla and cortex is possible, and that the 

 scantiness of the medullary lipoid contents considerably lowers 

 the relative lipoid figure. By itself, the cortex would show a far 

 higher lipoid proportion.* 



In any case, however, the suprarenals are among the organs 

 which are richest in lipoids, for more than a third of the total 

 dried substance consists of lipoids. 



TABLE OF RESULTS OBTAINED BY DISTILLATION OF THE SUPRARENALS 



OF PIGS. 



25.39 P er cent, dry substance to 74.61 per cent, water. Percentage of 



Dry substance 61.12 per cent, proteins, &c., 38.88 per cent, lipoids, &c. lipoid substances 



Cold acetone extract (undefined extractive substances, cho-j -M 8 ) 



-jlesterin, cholesterinesters, unsaturated r ^Q' \6o.l 



" " I phosphatides, possibly fats j 



Benzine extract (unsaturated phosphatides) ... ... ... ... 24.68 



Benzol extract . I I . 1.^4^ 15.2 



Alcoholic and etheric extracts f saturated g rou P j .. ... 13 .86j 



The figures which K. Linnert obtained by the same process 

 w r ith the brain of pigs are given for the sake of comparison. 



23.09 per cent, dry substance to 76.91 per cent, water. 



Dry substance 37.38 per cent, proteins, &c., Percentage of 



and 62.62 per cent, lipoids lipoid substances 



Acetone extract ... ... ... ... ... ... 22.48 



Benzine extract ... ... ... ... .. 41.16 



Benzol extract ... ... ... ... ... ... 25.02 



Alcoholic extract ... ... ... ... ... n-35 



From the hot acetone extract a cholesterinester was obtained 

 in crystalline form which, from the shape of its crystals, its 



To obtain a clear idea of the lipoid contents of the interrenal tissue, 

 experiments should be carried out with Selachians, and these I propose to 

 undertake within the near future. Our knowledge in this direction is at 

 present confined to Grynfellt's statement, that Ville found fat in the inter- 

 renal bodies of Selachians, and that, upon saponification, this fat yielded 

 oleic acid, palmitinic acid, and stearic acid. Only the microscope test was 

 employed. 



