384 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION OF WASHINGTON. 



in the ratio of 1:1; the other is a diaminophosphatide containing 

 nitrogen and phosphorus in the ratio of 2 : 1. The former is similar 

 to the lecithin obtained from egg-yolk and yields on hydrolysis glj^cero- 

 phosphoric acid, choline, amino nitrogen, and two or more fatty acids. 

 The other resembles diaminophosphatides obtained from kidneys and 

 other sources, but as yet we have not had opportunity to determine 

 its products of hydrolysis. 



A protein soluble in warm 70 per cent alcohol has been obtained 

 from the alcohol washings of casein. This has been the subject of 

 considerable study during the past year, but much further work is 

 planned before the results will be ready for publication. This protein 

 is apparently not derived from casein through changes incident to the 

 processes employed in separating it from the milk, for the anaphj^axis 

 tests made by Professor H. G. Wells showed that, while it possessed 

 marked anaphylactogenic properties, it neither sensitized guinea-pigs 

 to casein nor intoxicated those sensitized with casein. 



A careful estimation of phosphorus made on 44 grams of "butter 

 oil" jdelded only 0.266 milligram of phosphorus or 0.0006 per cent. 

 Since the less efficient butter fat has been shown to contain somewhat 

 more phosphorus than this, we can conclude that the growth-promoting 

 constituent of butter fat is free from phosphorus. It also appears to 

 be free from nitrogen, since only minute traces of this element can be 

 detected in the butter fat. 



A study of the anaphylactic reaction with preparations of the so- 

 called "proteoses" from various seeds has been made in cooperation 

 with Professor H. G. Wells. The results obtained showed that these 

 proteins, which have heretofore been assigned to the group of proteoses 

 on account of their solubility in water and non-coagulability by heat, 

 in reality belong to a new group which up to the present time has not 

 been found in animal tissues. This is shown b}'' the fact that they 

 exhibit strong anaphylactogenic properties, whereas the proteoses 

 obtained from native proteins by hydrolysis with enzymes, or by 

 chemical agents, do not. It was also shown that individual proteins 

 obtained from the extracts of many seeds can be so perfectly separated 

 from one another that contamination of the preparations by the other 

 proteins of the seed can not be detected by tliis delicate reaction. 

 These results demonstrate that the specificity of the anaphylaxis reac- 

 tion is determined by the chemical constitution of the protein, and not 

 by its biological origin. 



