3o6 Proceedings Columbia Biochemical Association [Jan. 



A comparison of the several methods recently recommended for 

 the determination of sugar in small quantities of blood was under- 

 taken. The methods studied were those of Bang/ Forsbach and 

 Severin,^ and Kowarski.^ The method of Bang is a cHnical one, 

 and is not intended for quantitative purposes. I have had no success 

 with it whatever, and this test seems to be of rather doubtful value. 

 The method is conducted as f ollows : A few drops of blood are 

 taken on a small piece of filter paper ; the paper is put into a test tube 

 and treated with 5 c.c. of a boiling sol. of potassium chloride. After 

 cooling, a few drops of Fehling sol. are added and the mixture is 

 boiled for half a minute. If no reduction is observed, the sugar is 

 below 0.15 percent. 



The two other methods are very complicated. The one of Fors- 

 bach and Severin is colorimetric, and that of Kowarski is titrimetric. 



III. CHnical studies of the Russe test. Max Kahn. {Beth 

 Israel Hospital Chemical Laboratory.) The Russo test is carried 

 out as follows : To 5 c.c. of filtered, freshly voided urine add two 

 or three drops of a i percent aqueous sol. of methylene blue. An 

 emerald green color signifies a positive result; the slightest trace 

 of blue is to be taken as a negative result. Russo recommended this 

 test as a method for diagnosing typhoid fever. In a series of tests 

 carried out on 269 patients for a period of several days, it was f ound 

 that positive results were obtained not only in typhoid cases but also 

 in advanced tuberculosis, malaria, typhus, septic infections, biliary 

 disease, advanced Carcinoma and cerebro-spinal meningitis. Chil- 

 dren suffering from empyema invariably reacted positively to this 

 test. In all of the urines the Ehrlich diazo test was also applied. 

 It was f ound that in typhoid fever the Russo test is positive several 

 days before the diazo reaction, and lasts a few days after the diazo 

 reaction disappears. Except in cases of advanced tuberculosis and 

 advanced carcinomatosis, the diazo reaction was negative when the 

 Russo test was positive. In infants and young children suffering 

 from cardio-nephritis it was often found that both the diazo and 

 the Russo tests were positive. 



^ Bang : Münchener med. Wochenschr., 1913, Ix, p. 2277. 



8 Forsbach and Severin: Archiv f. exp. Path. u. Pharm., 1912, Ixviii, p. 341. 



^ Kowarski : Deutsche med. Wochenschr., 1913, xxxix, p. 1635. 



