SECT. 12] CYCLOSES, PHOSPHORUS, SULPHUR 



[229 



tion has been made, that of Aoki, who estimated it on the egg as a 

 whole, using Yamakami's modification of Nicloux's method. His 

 results, which are shown in Fig. 394, led to the conclusion that the 

 alcohol-content of the egg rises steadily until the end of incubation, 

 at which time it has reached 

 an adult value, for the adult 

 fowl has 0-0028 vol. per cent, 

 in its blood and 0*0039 ^^l- 

 per cent, in its liver. Not the 

 faintest indication is available 

 as to the significance of these 

 results, but Taylor proved in 

 1 9 1 3 that alcohol can be found 

 in vertebrate tissues under the 

 most aseptic conditions, and 

 is probably due to the reduc- 

 tion of small quantities of 

 acetaldehyde by the cells. It 

 would be interesting to know 

 more about the metabolism 

 of these substances. Kobert 

 reported in 1903 that crushed 

 eggs of Testudo graeca, Sipun- 

 culus nudus, and Arbacia equituberculata would form alcohol from added 

 glucose at 37°. The alcohol was identified qualitatively with the 

 iodoform test, but the sterility of these experiments is doubtful. 



The other alcohol with which we are concerned is a very diflferent 

 one, namely, the polyhydric cyclose, inositol, or hexahydroxy- 

 cyclohexane. In 1 908 Rosenberger reported that he had found traces 

 of it in the fresh hen's tgg. It was known that on autolysis the inositol 

 content of tissues rose, and the precursor was called inositogen — it 

 is probably a phosphoric ester of inositol, such as the phytin of the 

 plant — and Rosenberger reported that traces of inositogen also were 

 to be found in the fresh egg. Later in the same year, he reversed 

 his opinion on the former point. Then in 1909 Klein was unable 

 to isolate any free inositol from fresh hen's eggs, but got plenty 

 ("eine reichHche Menge") from the chicks at hatching. A couple of 

 years later Starkenstein isolated 20 mgm. per cent, from the yolk of 

 a fresh egg. The question remained in this state until 1924 when 



Fig- 394- 



