RECENT ADVANCES IN SCIENCE 633 



Some new heterocyclic compounds containing arsenic in 

 the nucleus are described by Zappi {Bull. Soc. Chim. 19 16 [iv], 

 19, 151 and 290). By the action of dichloromethyl arsine, 

 CH 3 AsCl 3 , upon the magnesium derivative of the dichloropen- 

 tane C1(CH 2 ) 5 C1, a compound of the formula 



/CH 2 — CH 2v 

 CH 2 >AsCH 3 



\CH 2 — CH/ 



results, which may be called methylcyclopentamethylene 

 arsine, but in view of the analogy between this compound and 

 the corresponding nitrogen compound methylpiperidine, the 

 author proposes to call it methylarsepedine and further sug- 

 gests the name arsedine for the arsenic analogue of pyridine. 

 Methylarsepedine is an oil boiling at 160 C. ; its smell strongly 

 resembles that of mustard oil, and it forms a methiodide, a 

 platinichloride, and a picrate. 



Observations on the digestibility and utilisation of the 

 proteins of the egg are of some interest in view of the increasing 

 use of raw egg white as a diet in some forms of digestive dis- 

 turbances. According to Bateman (/. Biol. Chem. 19 16, 26, 

 263) raw white of egg is decidedly indigestible to dogs, rats, 

 rabbits, and men, only from 50-70 per cent, of the substance 

 being utilised by the body, the rest being excreted, although by 

 prolonged feeding a certain tolerance for the protein is acquired. 

 Raw white of egg is rendered digestible by heat coagulation or 

 by precipitation with alcohol, ether, or chloroform, and likewise 

 by incubation with dilute acid or alkali or by conversion into 

 alkali metaprotein. Egg yolk, or the other hand, either raw or 

 cooked, is quite digestible. 



The chemical nature of the vitamines has been recently 

 investigated by Williams (/. Biol. Chem. 191 6, 25, 437, and 26, 

 431). Assuming the correctness of the view put forward by 

 Drummond and Funk that vitamines are derivatives of pyridine, 

 the author has prepared a number of hydroxy derivatives of 

 pyridine, and has tested their action on pigeons suffering from 

 polyneuritis. Definite curative effect was noticed in the case 

 of one monohydroxypyridine, and two trihydroxy pyridines, 

 but nicotinic, quinolinic, cinchomeronic and other hydroxy acids 

 had no action. Very interesting is the observation that the 

 curative action is dependent on the conditions of preparation 



