448 Biological Division, 'American Chemical Society [April-July 



Sara S. Graves. (Harriman Research Lab., Roosevelt Hosp., 

 N. Y. City.) The nephelometer can be used for the study of nucle- 

 ases, if an acid egg-albumin Solution is used as a precipitant. This 

 reagent reveals the presence of i part of yeast nucleic acid in i,ooo,- 

 ooo parts of water, and is not affected in practical work by most 

 biological substances. 



Specificity in the action of drugs on brain and heart fosfatids. 

 C. G. MacArthur and G. H. Caldwell. (Biochem. Lab of the 

 Univ. of Chicago and of the Univ. of III.) If caffein, Cocain, 

 strychnin and other brain drugs show their specificity by some par- 

 ticular effect on brain kefalin and brain lecithin, these drugs ought 

 to change the very sensitive calcium-chlorid precipitation-limit of 

 the fosfatid Solution. Many series of determinations gave no such 

 result. Digitalis, strofanthin, etc., should affect heart lecithin and 

 heart cuorin sol. in a similar way. No consistent results of this 

 kind were noticed. 



These results suggest that the fosfatids, in the condition isolated, 

 are not concerned either through their solubilities, through changes 

 in the State of aggregation, or through chemical combination in drug 

 action. Probably these drugs effect more complex combinations or 

 more labile groups of substances than those isolated. 



Proteins of the central nervous System. H. H. Mc Gregor 

 and C. G. MacArthur. {Biochem. Lab. of the Univ. of III.) A 

 study of the proteins of the central nervous system has been con- 

 ducted by drying the fresh tissue with an air current and removing 

 a large proportion of the lipoids by cold solvents. After this treat- 

 ment, the solubility of the protein in aqueous Solutions is f ound to be 

 greatly increased; and the product precipitated by addition of ex- 

 cess of alcohol contains only slight amounts of hpoids. The pro- 

 tein obtained by this method contains phosphorus and has always 

 given a slight though definite reaction for iron. Whether extracted 

 by distilled water or by salt Solutions, the protein is not precipi- 

 tated by dilution: therefore the extract contains no true globulin. 

 Treatment with weak acetic acid yields an acid-precipitated and an 

 acid-soluble fraction. The evidence from fractional heat coagula- 

 tion, and fractional salting-out, indicates chemical individuality for 

 the product, instead of mixture of nucleoprotein and globulin. 



