2o6 Proceedings Columbia Biochemical Association [March, 



vicarious excretion, etc., as is often assumed, but each one to a' 

 great extent follows its own independent laws. Human nephritis 

 presents such a many-sided picture that probably many of the facts 

 pertaining to experimental uranium nephritis are appHcable to it. 

 However, these facts should be considered as nothing more than 

 suggestions upon which to base further inquiry.^'' 



150. An alleged improvement of the ferric chlorid method 

 for the determination of sulfocyanate. W. A. Perlzweig and 

 William J. Gies. Several years ago Bunting proposed the fol- 

 lowing method for the quantitative determination of sulfocyanate 

 in sahva :" " Pour 5 cc. of saliva into a thin curved watch-crystal 

 about 3 in. in diam. Allow this to stand in the air or sunHght, or 

 better still, set it on a slowly steaming water-bath, until the saliva 

 has dried to the dish. To this add i or 2 drops of water and i or 2 

 drops of ferric chlorid sol. and stir with the residue to make a 

 thick paste. To this add 5 cc. of ether, and stir the paste thor- 

 oughly. When well mixed, hold the glass on a level with the eye 

 and note the color of the sol." Compare, under similar conditions, 

 with Standard colors representing known conc. of sulfocyanate. 

 Some of the serious deficiencies of this method have been shown by 

 Dr. Kahn and the senior author.^^ 



Bunting lately sought to eliminate the defects in the foregoing 

 method by substituting for it the following procedure:^^ "Evap- 

 orate 5 cc. of the sample (of saliva) to be tested, on a watch- 

 crystal or small evaporating dish. To the dried film add ferric 

 chlorid sol., drop by drop, spreading it gently with a glass rod; 

 use just enough to moisten the whole film. Allow the mixture to 

 stand for from i to 2 min., and then pour on 5 cc. of a mixture of 

 amyl alcohol (5 parts) and ether {2 parts). Stir gently with a 

 glass rod until all the color has been taken up by the ethereal sol. 

 Decant the sol. into a test tube and compare with Standard colors 

 representing known conc. of sulfocyanate." 



The Substitution of ether-amyl alcohol mixture, for ether, was 



10 The results of this research have been published in detail in the Archives 

 of Internal Medicine, 1914, xiv, p. 844. — (Ed.) 



11 Bunting : Dental Cosmos, 1910, lii, p. 1346. 



12 Gies and Kahn : Ibid., 1913, Iv, p. 40. 



13 Bunting : Ibid., 1914, Ivi, p. 845. 



