552 Proceedings Columbia Biochemical "Association [July 



ance of the preliminary study described at the last meeting/^ we 

 have noted the effects of hemorrhages in dogs under conditions of 

 partial fasting, after suitable preparatory periods on our Standard 

 laboratory diet for dogs. Five animals {first group), weighing 4.7- 

 6.4 kilos, received water (187-315 c.c.) but no other ingredients of 

 the preparatory diet. The partial fast was maintained for from ten 

 to thirteen days, with losses in body weight of 18. 1-23.6 per cent. 

 Blood amounting to 3.54-5.38 per cent. of the body weight (2.86- 

 4.4 per cent. of the initial weight) was removed without causing any 

 serious Symptom. Three animals {second group), weighing 5.5- 

 12.6 kilos, received the Standard diet minus the meat. The only pro- 

 tein in the food was the small quantity in the cracker meal. No 

 dietary compensations were made for losses due to exclusion of the 

 meat. The partial fast was maintained for thirty-three days, with 

 losses in body weight of 16.05-24.95 per cent. Blood amounting to 

 4.50-5.1 1 per cent. of the body weight (3.62-3.86 per cent. of the 

 initial weight) was removed without causing special respiratory 

 difficulty or distress. 



100. Biochemical studies of selenium. V. E. Levine. Op- 

 posed to the current opinion that organic substances, generally, 

 reduce alkali-selenite Solutions, we find that reduction is not induced 

 by alcohols, phenols, saturated and unsaturated organic acids (ex- 

 cept formic acid, lactic acid, gallic acid), amino acids, purin bases, 

 proteins, fats and other lipins such as lecithin and cholesterol, Acety- 

 lene, hydroxylamine and Phenylhydrazine cause very strong re- 

 ducing effects. Acetone and formaldehyde reduce acidified Solu- 

 tions of sodium selenite. Many car'bohydrates reduce alkaline 

 sodium selenite to colloidal or red amorphous selenium. Inorganic 

 substances, e. g., ferrous sulfate, stannous chlorid, zinc and hydro- 

 chloric acid, sulfurous acid, arsenious acid, phosphorous acid, 

 hydrobromic acid, hydriodic acid, also exhibit reducing power. 

 Hydrogen peroxid, free halogens, nitric acid, potassium permanga- 

 nate, and aqua regia, because of their oxidizing activity, inhibit or 

 may entirely prevent the formation of colloidal or precipitated sel- 

 enium (reduction). 



The possibility of using sodium selenite as a reagent for the 

 detection of reducing substances was investigated. Arabinose, 



"Howe and Gies: Biochemical Bulletin, 1913, ii, p. 468. 



