VETERINARY MEDICINE. 577 



monwealth of Pennsylvania, with particular reference to anthrax, blackleg, 

 and hofi cholera. 



The lecithin content of different tissues, J. Cruickshank (Ahs. in Jour. 

 Path, and Bad., 18 (1913), No. 1, pp. lSJt-lSG).—ThQ amount of lecithin 

 in difCereut tissues was determined, the procedure used consisting in 

 brief in extracting the tissues with alcohol or ether and treating the 

 residue from the evaporated extract with hot acetic ether. " On cooling this 

 solution a precipitate results. After purification by repeated solution in, and 

 precipitation from, hot acetic ether the precipitate is dissolved in ether (any 

 material insoluble in ether is removed by rapidly centrifugalizing), and the 

 solution is precipitated with excess of acetone. Solution in ether and precipi- 

 tation with acetone is repeated a number of times till the precipitate is com- 

 pletely soluble in ether. Finally, the acetone precipitate is shaken with cold 

 alcohol. The fraction soluble in cold alcohol constitutes the ' lecithin.' The 

 amount of lecithin present has been estimated by evaporating to dryness a 

 known volume of the alcoholic solution and weighing the residue." 



The amount of lecithin found in 100 gm. of wet tissue was as follows : Ox's 

 heart, kidney, spleen, lungs, testicles, thyroid, pancreas, and submaxillary 

 gland, 0.36, 0.48, 0.14, 0.4, 0.62, 0.3, 0.68, and 0.3 gm., respectively ; sheep's liver 

 and red corpuscles, l.G and 0.12 gm., respectively ; ox's red corpuscles 2.5 gm. ; 

 and human brain 0.6 gm. 



"A number of these tissues have also been fixed in formalin, dried to con- 

 stant weight, and extracted with ether in place of alcohol. The amount of 

 lecithin obtained by this method has in all cases been small, generally about 

 one-tenth of the amount obtained by extracting a corresponding amount of the 

 same dried tissue with alcohol. It has been found that the yield of lecithin 

 from certain dried tis.sues by extraction with alcohol may be considerably less 

 than that obtained from the corresponding amount of the same tissue extracted 

 in the wet state. This difference occurs more particularly with tissues (brain, 

 blood) which in the dried condition are difficult to reduce to a fine powder, 

 and is probably attributable to want of proper penetration of the tissue by the 

 extracting fluid. 



" In estimating the amount of lecithin, it is inconvenient to work with very 

 large amounts of acetone precipitate, as it is difficult, without the use of sand 

 or other material by which the precipitate may be triturated, to extract the 

 whole of the lecithin. Further, the amou;it of lecithin in any precipitate can 

 only be estimated by thorough extraction of the precipitate with cold alcohol, 

 as it has been found that the proportion of lecithin in acetone precipitates 

 varies considerably." 



A comparative study of the chemical and biochemical properties of lipoid 

 substances as extracted from pig's liver and egg' yolk, F. P. Wilson {Jour. 

 Path, and. Bad., 18 {1913), No. 1, pp. 60-63).— "The best anticomplementary 

 property is shown, as in the case of the liver, by the acetone-insoluble fraction 

 of the ether extract. The figure obtained is very low compared with the liver, 

 and is practically equalled by the other acetone-insoluble fractions. The hemo- 

 lytic property is absent in all fractions, and in this connection it may be noted 

 that the saponification values are much the same as in the liver, but the iodin 

 values are higher. In both liver and egg yolk a high iodin value is accom- 

 panied by an increased anticomplementary action, but in the case of the liver 

 the converse does not hold good. 



" No relation appears to exist between the anticomplementary property and 

 the percentage of nitrogen and phosphorus, nor apparently is there anything 

 in the ratio of N : P. It is noteworthy that the acetone-soluble portion of the 



