402 Tartaric Acid in the Organism [June-September 



Chio,^° accepting Chabrie's conclusions as correct, explained 

 the different toxicologic behaviors as follows : The f our stereo- 

 isomeric acids, which are different in their toxic behavior, modify 

 in vitro the concentration of the H ions in the same manner; in 

 the guinea pig they produce a very mild reaction. They fix cal- 

 cium with a different activity in Solutions of calcium carbonate in 

 water (saturated with carbon dioxid), in beef serum, or in dog 

 serum. The degrees of their toxicity are not in accord with the 

 slight Variation in concentration of H ions which is effected by 

 them in the circulating blood, but depend on the extent to which 

 they abstract calcium from the tissues of the organism}'^ 



Vietinghoff-ScheeP- found that after subcutaneous or intra- 

 venous administration of tartrates into frogs, mice and rabbits, 

 neutral sodium citrate is more toxic than neutral sodium tartrate, 

 as is the case when the acids are administered in the free State. 

 In Order to produce initial toxic Symptoms in a rabbit he was 

 obliged to inject i gm. of the tartrate, whereas 0.2 gm. of the citrate 

 was sufficient to induce poisonous effects. 



Steinfeld^^ made several experiments on frogs, and observed 

 that the injection of 0.06 to 0.08 gm. of tartaric acid had no effect; 

 0.3 gm. induced paralysis of the nerves and muscles and death. 

 A cat that received 2 gm. of the acid per os showed no toxic 

 Symptoms. 



Salant and Smith^* tested the toxicity of the sodium salts of 

 d- and /-tartaric acid on frogs and rabbits. These isomeres were 

 found equally toxic in these animals, thus contradicting the earlier 

 work of Chabrie on the subject. In the experiments on rabbits, 

 the diet proved to be an important factor in the determinations of 

 tolerance for this substance. Animals which were fed on oats, or 

 oats and cabbage, succumbed to a dose of 0.4 gm. of the salt per 

 k., when given by subcutaneous injection. Suppression of urine 

 was usually observed on the first day and death usually occurred 



so Chio : Arch. intern, pharmacodyn., 1913, xxii, p. 473. 



31 See Chemical Abstracts, 1913, vii, p. 2622. 



32 Vietinghoff-Scheel : Arch. intern, de pharmacodyn. et de therapie, 1902, 

 X, p. 145. 



33 Steinfeld: cited by Vietinghoff-Scheel (footnote 32). 



3* Salant and Smith : Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. and Med., 1913, x, p. 170. 



