380 R. W. GLASER AND J. W. CHAPMAN. 



the alkali, three fractional precipitations with magnesium sul- 

 phate or sodium chloride can be obtained. Whether this means 

 that the polyhedra are composed of three separate proteins or 

 three groups of proteins, we are not prepared to say. The three 

 precipitates, however, do demonstrate that the polyhedra are 

 complex and not at all simple, a fact which does not seem strange 

 when one reflects on the complexity of cellular or nuclear material 

 in general. 



As stated previously we regard the polyhedra as degeneration 

 products formed during the course of the disease in the nuclei 

 of certain tissue cells. The bodies are nucleoprotein crystal-like 

 (pseudo-crystalline) aggregates. The idea suggested itself to 

 us that it might be possible to dissolve the polyhedra and re- 

 crystallize them again after dissolution. If this should prove 

 to be possible, it would militate seriously against the views held 

 by Bolle, Fischer, Marzocchi, Knoche, Escherich and Miyajima 

 that the bodies are organisms or the stages of an organism. Our 

 experimental attempts at recrystallizing the polyhedra are a bit 

 varied and so we do not wish to overemphasize our results as yet, 

 but submit them with a full appreciation of their preliminary 

 value. 



Polyhedra were dissolved in 2 per cent. NaOH by heating. 

 The process of dissolution was followed by an examination of 

 samples microscopically, and when traces of the bodies could no 

 longer be observed, the material was evaporated over a water 

 bath and examined before it became entirely dry. Besides long 

 NaoCOs crystals we found many small and large bodies which 

 resembled polyhedra. As a check we evaporated ordinary 2 

 per cent. NaOH, but we could not find the polyhedra-like 

 crystals obtained with the protein solution. This seemed to be 

 a result which offered possibilities, so we proceeded more carefully 

 with another experiment. 



Two grams of polyhedra were dissolved by heating in 2 per 

 cent. NaOH. This solution was filtered and washed with ether 

 in order to rid the material of any traces of fat. The ether was 

 then eliminated by means of a separating funnel. The solution 

 was next dialyzed to get rid of the alkali and a few protein tests 

 were performed with some of the solution just to convince our- 



