ucts. It is also certain that it was contaminated with other constituents 

 of the gland. This is proved by the fact that basic lead acetate precipi- 

 tates several of the constituents of the gland which pass into alcohol, 

 and also by the fact that the analyzed material contained 0.068 per cent 

 of sulphur and from 1.18 per cent to 1.44 per cent of ash. 



A second reason given by Moore in support of his conjecture is 

 that when "some suprarenal extract was cautiously fused with caustic 

 potash so as to avoid charring, the peculiar odor of pyridine was at 

 once obtained." He admits that proteids were present in this extract, 

 and that pyridine and its homologues are formed in the destructive dis- 

 tillation of proteids, but states that the experiment was "conducted 

 so as to avoid charring," and considers this a sufficient safeguard. This 

 experiment has also no value, for the odor of pyridine can always be 

 obtained when a mixture of dry, powdered proteid and po\vdered 

 caustic potash are fused together so as to avoid charring. This experi- 

 ment, therefore, must be made with material entirely free of proteids. 

 Since reading Moore's paper we have fused a little of our active prin- 

 ciple with caustic potash, but have failed to detect pyridine. If present 

 in the molecule of the active principle, it is evident that larger quan- 

 tities of the material must be used to prove it. Only indisputable 

 chemical proofs can establish the presence of pyridine; the odor is 

 not enough. We have frequently in various manipulations with the 

 active substance met with what we took to be the odor of pyridine, 

 but on shaking out with ether and adding an ethereal solution of 

 hydrochloric acid and evaporating the ether we have been unable to 

 detect pyridine in the residue. 



