ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 71 



Moderately high room temperature (75°) with 50 per cent relative humidity 

 had all the effects of the higher temperature but in less degree. 



Stagnant air at the same temperature as fre3h air, even when it contained 20 

 or more parts per 10,000 of carbon dioxid and all the organic and other sub- 

 stances in the breathed air of occupied rooms, did not appear to produce any 

 physiological disorders, nor to inlluence the comfort of the subjects nor the 

 power or inclination to do physical or mental work. The appetite for food, 

 however, did seem to be slightly reduced. 



ANIMAL PRODUCTION. 



Studies on the physiological action of some protein derivatives, P. P. Un- 

 DERHiLL and B. M. HENnrax {Jonr. Biol. Clicm., 22 (1915), No. 3, pp. US-JflO). — 

 This article is considered under three headings, as follows : 



(1) Are Proteoses Prepared from Zein and Gliadin Physiologically Active? 

 Recent developments concerning the physiology of proteins have been the dis- 

 covery of the phenomenon of anaphylaxis and the demonstration of the relation 

 of the amino acid content of the different proteins to their ability to meet the 

 nitrogen requirements of the animal body. In this connection the subject of 

 peptone intoxication has received attention, anaphylactic shock and the physio- 

 logical action of peptone being two varieties of protein intoxication. 



In investigations on this subject, in which dogs were used as experimental 

 animals, the authors found that " the Intravenous injection of zeoses in relatively 

 large doses (0.5 gm. per kilogram) causes a fall in arterial pressure and inhibits 

 the coagulation of the blood. Smaller doses are without marked effect. Glia- 

 doses have a very strong inhibiting action on the coagulation of the blood and a 

 somewhat less marked effect on the arterial pressure. The statement of Knaffl- 

 Lenz that the presence of tryptophane in proteoses is responsible for their 

 physiological action could not be confirmed. The suggestion is made that the 

 failure of Knaffl-Lenz to obtain characteristic effects with his pi'eparations is 

 probably due to the relatively small amount of proteoses contained in the diges- 

 tion mixtures employed." 



(2) The Relation of Racemization to the Physiological Action of Proteins and 

 Proteoses. — In these studies it was found that " crude racemized proteins produce 

 toxic symptoms when introduced into the circulation. The evidence in case of 

 racemized zein is not decisive, inasmuch as some preparations exhibit typical 

 effects, whereas with others no influence can be demonstrated. Purified race- 

 mized proteins show no poisonous action. The washings from crude racemized 

 proteins contain a toxic substance. A portion of the active substance can be 

 removed from racemized proteins by extraction with alcohol. Efforts to remove 

 the poisonous material completely by this means were unsuccessful. Proteoses 

 prepared by acid digestion of racemized proteins are probably as toxic as those 

 prepared from the native proteins. Of the racemized proteoses the caseoses 

 and albumoses are quite toxic, but the zeoses seem to be inert." 



(3) The Physiological Action of Vaughan's "Crude Soluble Poison." — It is 

 stated that V. C. Vaughan has shown that a very toxic body can be prepared by 

 digesting any true protein with an alcoholic solution of sodium hydroxid. Evi- 

 dences of toxicity of this substance were yielded by subcutaneous injections into 

 guinea pigs. Injections of this substance into the blood of dogs and rabbits were 

 also made. 



It was found that " Vaughan's preparation is much more toxic than Witte's 

 •peptone.' The statement of Edmunds [E. S. R., 30. p. 180] that Vaughan's 

 ' crude soluble poison ' has no action on the coagulation of the blood is not con- 

 15419°— No. 1—16 6 



