Therapeutic Agents on Amylolytic and Proteolytic Action. 6 1 



without any appreciable influence. When present in larger percent- 

 ages, the drug was found to have a slight inhibitory influence on 

 amylolytic action, as the following series of experiments show : 



Coppola,* in studying the physiological action of antipyrin, found 

 that three per cent, of the substance did not hinder the inversion of 

 cane sugar by yeast, but did prevent alcoholic fermentation. Fur- 

 ther, that the same percentage hindered slightly the action of malt 

 diastase on starch, and had a decided inhibitory influence on the 

 alkaline fermentation of urine. 



Antifebrin. 



Owing to the comparative insolubility of antifebrin or acetanilide 

 in water, large percentages could not be employed. Such as were 

 used, however, clearly show that this antipyretic has little influence 

 on amylolytic action. 



In this cormection, it is interesting to notice that Kumagawa* has 

 found antifebrin to have a strong antiseptic action on the putrefac- 

 tive processes of the intestinal canal, and Van Seer has observed that 

 milk does not undergo fermentation if saturated with it, and also 

 that it will prevent albumin becoming ])utrid.f 



Urethan. 



With ethyl-urethan, two series of experiments were tried, with the 

 following results : 



* Jahresbericht fur Thierchemie. 1885, p. 98. 



f Virchow's Archiv, Band cxiii, p. 184. 



\ See The Therapeutic Gazette, vol. xii, p. 566. 



