194 THE JOURNAL OF PHARMACOLOGY. 



concentrated solution of chromic acid dissolves hairs immediately, boiling 

 potash dye does the same. On the other hand, boiling hydrochloric acid 

 will not dissolve them. Boiling picric acid stains animal hairs yellow and 

 the stains remains permanent n cold water. Millon's reagent, when boil- 

 ing hairs with it, will impart to them a brick-red color. A mixture of 

 equal parts of English sulphuric acid and concentrated nitric acid will in 

 thirty minutes dissolve silk and goats' hair, but not sheep's wool ; the 

 latter will become colored yellow by it. As all animal hairs contain sul- 

 phur, they will all respond to a test for it. Lead acetate which is precip- 

 itated with an excess of potassium hydrate,' will impart a brown to black 

 color (of lead sulphide). 



If hairs are boiled with potash lye free from sulphur, this will, when 

 diluted with water, assume a beautiful violet color upon the addition of a 

 solution of sodium cyanid. 



( To be continued.) 



What is Life ? 



We have called attention to this perplexing problem in previous issues 

 of this journal. In a recent number, the Journal of the Royal Microscopical 

 Society copies F. J. Allen's views from an exchange. This writer argues 

 as follows : " Every vital phenomenon is due to a change in a nitroge- 

 nous compound, and, indeed, in the nitrogen atoms of that compound. 

 There is no vital action without transfer of oxygen, and the transfer is 

 performed by nitrogen (often assisted by iron). In the anabolic action of 

 light on plants, the nitrogen compounds are affected primarily, and the 

 CO 2 and water secondarily. In the living and active molecule the nitro- 

 gen is situated centrally and is often in the pentad state. In the dead 

 molecule it is usually peripheral and in the trial state. The oxygen store 

 of the living molecule is more or less united with the nitrogen, but passes 

 to some other element at death. The nitrogen of .the living molecule is 

 combined in a complex and perhaps changeable manner, the compound 

 resembling in some respects the cyanogen compounds, in other respects 

 the explosives, such as nitroglycerin. Life, in its physical aspect, is the 

 culmination of that chemical instability in certain elements which has 

 always kept them circulating at the earth's surface." — Meyer Bros. 

 Druggist. 



